Studie efter Dürer: Den Hellige Christoforus I 1910

This is J.A. Jerichau the second’s study after Dürer, St. Christopher, made with graphite on paper. Look at the purposeful lines, how they confidently build up this figure, there’s no room for hesitation! The texture of the paper itself is part of the piece, see the flecks and stains. It’s all part of the story. The weight of the figure is really impressive, isn't it? The way Jerichau coaxes a solid form from such delicate lines, especially in the legs, it gives the drawing a real sense of grounded-ness. I'm reminded of the drawings of someone like Picasso, particularly his studies of the old masters, it's not about copying, it's about entering into a conversation across time. Art is never truly original, it's always a remix, a reinterpretation, a continuation of a dialogue that stretches back centuries.