Der var ligesaa vildsomt derinde... 1928

Fritz Syberg made this drawing with ink on paper. You can see how the marks are laid down quickly and with little hesitation, really emphasizing process. The line quality is varied, sometimes scratchy, sometimes smooth. Looking closely, you can see how he uses these lines to build up form. See the way the stones are rendered, with lots of short, sharp lines to give them volume and texture. The same goes for the foliage, which is a mass of scribbled lines, almost like he’s trying to capture the wildness of nature. It reminds me of a Cy Twombly drawing, but with a touch more realism. Both artists use a kind of gestural abstraction to capture the essence of a scene, rather than a precise representation. It's this looseness, this willingness to let the hand wander, that gives the drawing its energy. Syberg isn’t afraid to leave things unresolved, which makes it all the more interesting.