Ned til Vandet vokste store Skræppeblade 1928

Fritz Syberg made this drawing titled 'Ned til Vandet vokste store Skræppeblade' on paper with pencil, it’s now here at the SMK. The thing that gets me about it is the bare bones process, like the underpainting is the final painting. The figures are all pencil outlines, repeated and layered, so you get this strange sense of depth and flatness at the same time. Look at the way he's shaded in some of the legs, giving them a solid, almost sculptural presence. But then the faces are just these blank, simple shapes. It's like he's playing with the idea of representation, but not really committing to it. It reminds me a little of Guston, but without the clunkiness. Both artists leave a trail of breadcrumbs, allowing us to see the evolution of their practice. They embrace ambiguity and multiple interpretations over fixed meanings, which is what keeps me coming back for more.