Lignelsen om den store nadver 1860s

Wilhelm Marstrand made this ink drawing, The Parable of the Great Banquet. The artwork appears to be a spontaneous sketch done with pen and ink, with the ink lines giving the work a sense of movement. Its quickness implies ease, but this belies the artist's technical skill. Note how Marstrand uses varied strokes to build up the image, such as hatching to suggest shadows. The subject is Christ inviting the poor to share a meal, which aligns with the drawing’s material aesthetic of seeming humble, like a quickly dashed-off note. But, this drawing also underscores the labor involved in producing such work. While its pen strokes seem effortlessly laid down, Marstrand's artistic training underscores the labor that makes it possible, bridging the perceived gap between fine art and craft through skilled execution.