De andre Ænder... 1928

Fritz Syberg made this small drawing, probably as a study, using ink on paper. There's something so immediate about the mark-making here, isn't there? It’s like Syberg is thinking through the image, right on the page. The lines are searching, finding their way, almost like a kid scribbling, but with this incredible control and confidence. Notice how the density of the marks changes – darker, thicker lines build up the tree and the shaded areas under the bridge, while lighter, scratchier lines suggest the movement of the water and the subtle texture of the stonework. Look at the tree; it’s this wild tangle of lines, but somehow, you totally get the sense of its volume and the way the light filters through the leaves. Syberg isn't trying to trick you into thinking this is a photograph, but he's trying to explore the way things appear to us, how we make sense of the world through looking. It reminds me a little of the gestural energy in some of Van Gogh's drawings. Both were keen observers of the natural world, finding ways to capture something essential about what they saw.