To studier af amtmand Graahs højre arm 1836 - 1838

This drawing, "To studier af amtmand Graahs højre arm" (Two Studies of District Governor Graah’s Right Arm), was created by Christen Købke using graphite on paper. The study presents two near-identical renderings of a man’s arm, clad in a long-sleeved shirt with buttoned cuffs, one grasping a rolled-up document. The composition’s stark simplicity invites us to consider the function of repetition and variation. The formal repetition, rendered in delicate lines, suggests an analytical approach, an almost scientific observation of form. The drawing is less about portraiture and more about the articulation of form, space and line. The empty space around the arms is as important as the drawn figures themselves. This void focuses our attention on the subtle modulations of light and shadow that give the arm its three-dimensionality. Købke presents us with a study in pure form and structure. He compels us to confront the basics of representation. The drawing serves as an investigation into the very essence of seeing and depicting.