Landskab fra Bornholm 1810 - 1848

Christen Købke made this landscape from Bornholm with pencil on paper. The strokes and shading are all there is – just the artist's hand and eye, and the graphite registering his observations. It’s easy to overlook drawings, but they are the foundation of all visual art, from painting to sculpture. Købke uses these simple materials to describe light and depth, the textures of rocks, and the density of the distant trees. The work is quick and ephemeral, and you can imagine him standing on that shore, squinting, as he sets down the scene. Consider the contrast between this direct, immediate kind of artmaking and the grand, labored history painting. It is the difference between a passing moment and a monumental statement. In either case, though, the art’s real magic lies in its making.