Illustrationsudkast til H.C. Andersen, Nissen og Madammen 1866 - 1867

This pencil drawing, "Illustrationsudkast til H.C. Andersen, Nissen og Madammen," was created by Lorenz Frølich. The work arranges the elements of a cauldron, a cat, and a pixie-like figure within a composition of delicate lines and tonal variations. The composition guides your eye across the scene, and the forms, though lightly sketched, imply volume and texture. Frølich’s sketch uses form and line to destabilize traditional notions of narrative illustration by engaging with the formal properties of drawing. In doing so, the sketch transcends its function as mere preparation, inviting us to explore the visual language through which stories are constructed. The sketched lines and shaded areas create a semiotic system, where each mark functions as a signifier. Notice how the interplay between form and function opens up a discourse about how art can simultaneously represent and question the very stories they aim to tell. In this way, Frølich’s sketch becomes a site for ongoing interpretation, where the act of seeing and interpreting becomes part of the artwork itself.