Blyantsskitse med tre ryttere 1917 - 1920

Curator: At Statens Museum for Kunst, we have "Blyantsskitse med tre ryttere," a pencil drawing by Niels Skovgaard, created between 1917 and 1920. Editor: It has a ghostly, ephemeral quality. The lines are so light, it's as if the riders might vanish if you blink. Curator: Indeed. As a sketch, it’s less about concrete depiction and more about capturing an initial idea. Sketches often serve as vital source material revealing the planning process behind the artist’s practice. Editor: To me, this evokes a deeper, perhaps unconscious realm. Horses often symbolize untamed energy, and in dreams, they are associated with the libido and primal drives. Seeing three, barely formed, is rather haunting. Curator: That’s interesting. The repetition certainly reinforces the symbol, yet Skovgaard also worked in a period that favored academic artistic traditions, and would have been interested in draftsmanship for its own sake. Editor: Despite the classical inspiration, this looks surprisingly modern. Almost like an early photograph, with its soft focus and indistinct subject. Do you think that comparison to photography might have influenced his choices here, perhaps the conscious or unconscious awareness of how modern processes were changing how one renders form? Curator: Possibly, though one has to tread carefully attributing too much intention. It does, however, open an interesting area of investigation concerning the nature of “finish” in art. Editor: Regardless of intention, these figures feel suspended in time. This resonates powerfully today, making it an enduring work. Curator: Precisely, viewing a work of art like Skovgaard’s provides an avenue for comprehending its context and appreciating how these ideas are carried through time. Editor: A brief glimpse into our shared visual memory.