Studie af en italiensk saddel 1845

Johan Thomas Lundbye made this drawing, Studie af en italiensk saddel, with pencil on paper. The almost ghostly image centers on the form of a saddle, rendered with spare, economic lines. The subtle variations in line weight and the delicate shading suggest volume and texture without fully solidifying the object. Lundbye’s choice to leave large portions of the paper untouched shifts our focus to the process of seeing itself. Is the saddle physically present, or merely a figment of memory traced onto the page? The drawing's structure encourages a dialogue between presence and absence. It explores how we perceive and construct reality through fragmented glimpses. The paper's discolouration adds another layer to the drawing's meaning. This imperfection contributes to its aesthetic appeal, challenging the traditional notion of the pristine artwork and inviting us to reconsider our expectations of beauty and representation.