Landskab med skovklædte bakker samt løse udkast 1839

Dankvart Dreyer made this landscape with wooded hills, using graphite on paper. The fineness of the graphite allows for a remarkable delicacy of line. See how Dreyer captures light filtering through the trees, and the atmospheric perspective that recedes into the distance. The image feels less like a finished work and more like a study. You can feel the artist working and reworking lines in order to capture a fleeting moment. Drawing was a crucial skill for artists in the 19th century. It was the foundation for all other artistic endeavors. But it was also valued as a mode of expression in its own right. It democratized art production in the sense that it was an activity that anyone could take up, with easily available tools. Considering the materiality of a work like this, the physical effort involved in its creation, and the wider cultural context to which it belongs, helps us appreciate the work beyond just its aesthetic qualities.