Troll wonders how old he is - Trollet som grunner på hvor gammelt det er 1911

Theodor Kittelsen made this drawing of a troll, wondering about his age, with pencil on paper. Imagine the artist, bent over the page, carefully hatching lines to conjure this creature out of thin air! The troll is hunched over, a picture of melancholy, ancient beyond measure, pondering his own existence. Kittelsen’s mark-making is incredible; the density of the graphite creates the troll's heavy, brooding presence, while also rendering the coarseness of his beard. The tufts of grass sprouting from his head suggest he is as much a part of the landscape as the rocks he sits upon. I can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the paper, line by line, building up the image with such precision and care. There is so much vulnerability in his face. It makes me think about other artists who explore the darker, more introspective aspects of human nature, like Paula Rego or Francisco Goya. Artists create a space for us to wonder about the bigger questions!