Studie af vinstokke 1777 - 1779

This delicate pencil drawing of vines was made by Jens Juel, a leading portraitist, in the late eighteenth century. The artist's chosen material – graphite applied to paper – influences the drawing's appearance with its dry, powdery quality. The marks are direct, intimate, almost like handwriting. Juel renders the forms with simple, unassuming lines, and the effect is one of quiet observation. Here, he engages with the skilled tradition of botanical illustration, yet pushes beyond pure record keeping. It is not just a study of vines, but an exercise in seeing. While the drawing might seem worlds away from the grand portraits for which Juel was known, it reminds us that all artistic practices, whether ‘high’ or ‘low,’ require attentiveness, care, and the skilled manipulation of materials.