Kvindelig stående model, set fra ryggen 1916

J.A. Jerichau II made this drawing of a female nude from behind with charcoal on paper. You can almost feel the hand of the artist moving across the page, building up a sense of volume and weight with each stroke. I imagine Jerichau standing before the model, charcoal in hand, trying to capture the essence of the human form with just a few lines. See how the dark shading defines the curve of the back and the roundness of the buttocks? It’s a study in light and shadow, but also in the way the body occupies space. The lines are smudged and blurred as if the artist were searching for the right form, open to discovery in the process. It’s a reminder that art-making is not just about representation, but also about the act of seeing and feeling. We can see the exchange of ideas over time; Jerichau takes inspiration from the many artists before him, and in turn, perhaps inspires others.