Udkast til Helhesten 1870 - 1873

Lorenz Frølich sketched this “Draft for the Helhesten” in pen and ink on paper. It’s a small work, just 78 by 97 millimeters. Frølich, born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1820, was trained in drawing, and his skill is evident in the economy of the lines that form this mythological beast, the Helhesten. You can see the swiftness of his hand as the creature comes to life on paper. The ink bleeds slightly into the paper, creating soft edges. It’s a great example of the immediacy of drawing. Unlike other more laborious or monumental works, sketching allows for the easy manifestation of ideas, and a degree of informal imaginative freedom. This sketch shows how an artist harnesses the simple tools of pen and ink to rapidly bring an imagined subject to life. The skill of draftsmanship, so essential to art and design, is fully on display.