Tre studier af siddende, skægget mand. Saul 1920

Joakim Skovgaard made these studies of a seated, bearded man, Saul, with pen and ink. He’s feeling his way through a subject, and the marks have a searching, tentative quality, as if the artist is trying to capture something elusive. It’s a great example of artmaking as a process. The drawings are all about line – thin, delicate, and full of variation. Some lines are darker and more defined, while others are light and sketchy. Look at the way Skovgaard uses hatching to create shadows and volume, especially in the folds of the man's robe. It’s like he’s sculpting with ink, building up form with these tiny, repetitive strokes. The blank paper peeks through, creating a sense of airiness and light. There’s a real sense of immediacy, as if Skovgaard is thinking through the act of drawing. Skovgaard’s process reminds me of other artists, like Käthe Kollwitz, who used drawing as a way to explore human emotion and experience. Art is a conversation across time, full of ambiguities and open to interpretation.