Løjtnant Aage Budtz-Jørgensen 1905 - 1909

This bronze bust of Løjtnant Aage Budtz-Jørgensen was made by Johannes Kragh, though we don't know exactly when. Just by looking at the surface, you can tell it was created with a great deal of material intuition. There's a real sense of hands-on creation here, and the traces of the artist's process are everywhere. The texture is rich with nicks and marks, which catch the light and convey the distinct feel of the bronze. The marks around the Lieutenant's eyes seem particularly purposeful; they give him a sense of brooding intensity. Kragh reminds me a little of Jacob Epstein, who also sculpted striking portrait busts in bronze. Both artists seem to have had a similar appreciation of material and process, and neither was afraid to leave the evidence of their hand. Ultimately, sculpture is not about perfection but rather about revealing the energy and ideas of its maker.