Kirkegård, grave under høje træer 1930

This print of a graveyard under tall trees, Kirkegård, was made by Henry Nielsen in 1931. It’s all about that dense, almost velvety black ink, isn't it? I can imagine the artist wrestling with the plate, coaxing out those shadowy forms. I sympathize with Nielsen. It's a feeling I recognize from my own practice. I wonder if he was thinking about mortality, memory, or maybe just the stark beauty of the scene. What does it mean to make marks on a surface that evoke a sense of place and feeling? Look how the ink is thick in some areas and thin in others. See those sweeping gestures that create the canopy of trees? Each one communicates a feeling, an intention, a kind of knowing. Nielsen's print echoes the work of other artists who explored the darker side of life, like Goya or Ensor. Artists are in an ongoing conversation, each building upon the ideas of those who came before. This piece is a form of embodied expression. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty. There are so many interpretations to be had.