Illustration til "Tommelise" i H.C. Andersen, "Eventyr og Historier", Bind 1 1870 - 1873

This is an illustration for Hans Christian Andersen’s “Thumbelina,” made by H.P. Hansen in the 19th century. It’s rendered in ink on paper, a humble pairing of materials that belies the image’s fantastic content. Look closely at the artist’s technique. The forms are built up with a careful layering of lines, a patient and deliberate process. It’s a mode of production worlds away from the rapid industrialization that was transforming European society at the time. The medium of ink drawing is significant here. Unlike painting, which often strives for illusionism, the pen-and-ink process foregrounds its own making. The quality of the line, the density of the hatching, these are not just descriptive, they’re expressive in their own right. Each stroke is a testament to the artist's hand, a direct link to the moment of creation. In its simplicity, this drawing reminds us that meaning is as much in the making as in the image itself.