Tre studier af hovedet af en romersk okse 1845

Johan Thomas Lundbye created "Three Studies of the Head of a Roman Ox" using pencil and watercolor, heightening the details in pen and brown ink. The artwork presents three studies of an ox's head, each rendered with varying degrees of completion. The study at the bottom left has a fully rendered ox head in detailed pen work and shading, which contrasts with the other sketches that show a softer and lighter quality. Lundbye's strategic use of line and form captures the animal’s features with a keen eye for anatomical accuracy. Notice how the varying intensity and detail in each sketch invite comparison, highlighting the artist's process of observation and refinement. The contrast between the defined and the ephemeral is not merely technical but is a conceptual investigation into the nature of representation itself. Lundbye destabilizes the conventional understanding of a finished work, suggesting that the process and the varying degrees of representation are themselves significant.