Træstudier 1830 - 1833

Dankvart Dreyer made this drawing of trees on paper sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The artist chose to use graphite as his medium, which allowed him to achieve a range of soft, subtle tones and textures. If you look closely, you will see that he created the image by layering faint marks, gradually building up the forms of the trees. The grain of the paper is subtly visible, reminding us of the handmade nature of this artwork. Graphite, as a material, is interesting; it comes directly from the earth, yet requires industrial processing to become a usable drawing material. In Dreyer’s time, artists often made studies like this one to develop their skills of observation, using these to inform larger landscape paintings. This kind of drawing bridges the space between craft and art. Through his work, Dreyer reminds us of the importance of materials and process in understanding a work of art.