To kalve (udkast til keramisk fad) 1885 - 1920

Theodor Philipsen made this drawing, called *To kalve (udkast til keramisk fad)* in Danish, as a sketch for a ceramic plate, but when? Well, we don't know. The circular design is filled with these wispy blue lines on a pale ground, almost like a quick memory fading in and out. Look at how Philipsen uses line, it's all energy and movement, creating these two calves out of what looks like a scribble, you can almost feel the scratch of the pen! I love the way the blue lines create texture and form without ever really solidifying. It’s as if the image is constantly in the process of becoming, a testament to the artist's trust in the unpredictable nature of the artistic process. To me, it's a great reminder that art doesn't always need to be about perfect representation, but about capturing a feeling. This drawing reminds me of the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who also had an interest in simple, rural scenes. It feels like part of an ongoing conversation about how we see and represent the world around us.