Løst skitseret træ og busk 1822 - 1848

This pencil drawing of a tree and bush was made by Christen Købke at an unknown date, and held in the collection of the SMK in Denmark. The drawing itself is an everyday, unremarkable kind of object. But this is exactly where the interest lies: its very plainness. The artist has rapidly rendered the forms of the landscape, quickly capturing the texture of foliage with the side of the pencil lead. We can almost feel the rough surface of the paper beneath the artist's hand as he worked, and appreciate his capacity to capture nature in such an immediate way. Købke was clearly interested in the capacity of drawing to preserve the memory of a place. He was also putting his skills into circulation through art markets, where drawings like this could be sold to collectors. The work straddles the line between a personal record, a material commodity, and a study which shows a true understanding of process.