Kvindefigur med turban og halvmåne, siddende lænet mod en fantastisk kamel. Allegori på Asien 1743 - 1809

Nicolai Abildgaard made this drawing with pen and brown ink, and brown wash. It depicts a female figure with a turban and crescent moon, reclining against a fantastical camel. The choice of materials, pen and ink on paper, is significant. This wasn't a finished artwork for sale, but a study. Abildgaard was working through his ideas, using the fluidity of ink and wash to explore form and composition. The washes give depth and volume with the faintest touch of the brush. It’s a quick, efficient way to develop a complex scene, and a good way to consider the cultural meaning of the image. Consider the subject matter: an allegory of Asia. In Abildgaard’s time, Europe’s relationship with the East was shaped by trade, colonialism, and orientalism. The loose, suggestive quality of the drawing mirrors the way that Europeans imagined the continent – distant and mysterious. Ultimately, this drawing is a valuable glimpse into the artist’s process, and into the cultural mindset of 18th-century Europe.