Italienske fremstillinger, især osteriscener 1860s

Wilhelm Marstrand made this drawing of Italian scenes with pen and brown ink. It’s a preparatory sketch, seemingly dashed off, but look closely and you’ll see he uses the full potential of his medium. The ink varies in tone, from light washes indicating background, to assertive dark lines that define faces and clothing. Pen and ink is a humble medium, but capable of great subtlety. Here, the artist uses it to record his impressions of everyday life. Consider the labor involved: the artist, traveling, observing, and transcribing what he saw. The figures are captured in various states of work and leisure. But by choosing to elevate these mundane scenes, and by carefully composing them on the page, Marstrand asks us to see the inherent dignity in ordinary life. He transforms the mundane into something worthy of aesthetic contemplation. It reminds us that art-making, like all forms of labor, is a transformative act.