Den syge 1932 - 1936

Svend Rathsack made this drawing called ‘Den syge’ with pencil on paper. It's all about the process of finding form, isn't it? Look at the wispy lines, almost tentative, as if Rathsack is feeling his way through the scene. The paper's bare, almost apologetic in its emptiness, emphasizing the vulnerability of the subject. The texture isn't in the pencil strokes themselves but in the ghost of the image, the way the lines suggest volume and emotion without ever fully committing. The bottom, a quick scribble, maybe a discarded idea? It’s like the drawing is breathing, inhaling the visible and exhaling the invisible. There’s something about the rawness of this piece that reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s drawings—that same urgency and honesty. It's a reminder that art isn't about perfection; it's about the messy, beautiful struggle to capture something real.