Udkast til overdelen af gravmæle på Assistens kirkegård 1796 - 1799

This is Johannes Wiedewelt's sketch for the upper part of a tomb monument at Assistens Cemetery, created with pencil and wash. The design is dominated by a monochromatic palette, with delicate lines and shading that give form to the structure and the figure. Notice how the archway frames a seated man, presumably a scholar, poring over a book, surrounded by symbols of learning such as a globe. The structure is divided into two distinct registers: the upper section with the scholar and the lower section which depicts the base of a tomb. Wiedewelt here synthesizes neoclassical restraint with a focus on symbolic representation. The figure is frozen in study, almost as if the pursuit of knowledge transcends time itself. Consider the way the monument's design functions as a signifier. The scholar, the books, the globe—these are not just aesthetic choices but signifiers of intellect, wisdom, and legacy. The monument form speaks to eternal remembrance through the power of Enlightenment ideals.