Tre kompositionsstudier 1879 - 1910

Oluf Hartmann made these three composition studies using graphite and wash on paper. He used conventional materials, but in a very searching, restless way. Hartmann was clearly exploring a theme, working it over and over; you can see him wrestling with his motif, figuring out how to give it form. We can see the graphite lines are quick and searching, and the contrast created by the wash emphasizes the dramatic tension between the figures. The figures in the bottom left corner are depicted in a more considered way, with more detail and depth added by the wash. There's a rawness to the sketch, but the artist clearly wants to make something lasting, something powerful. And in this striving, he reminds us that even a humble material like graphite can be pushed to expressive ends. It's a reminder that art is often about the work, the labor, the restless pursuit of an elusive goal.