To studier af hænder og studie af kvindeoverkrop med fremstrakt arm 1720 - 1751

Editor: Here we have "Two Studies of Hands and Study of a Female Torso with Extended Arm," a pencil drawing on paper by Marcus Tuscher, dating from 1720 to 1751. I’m struck by the almost ethereal quality of it; the blue paper gives it a dreamy feel, even though it's a study, and not a finished piece. What do you make of this drawing? Curator: Well, it tickles my imagination. These studies... they whisper stories, don't they? I feel I am looking into the artist's mind. He's figuring out the poetry of the human form with these exquisite, almost fleeting lines. It's Baroque, of course, so there is that inherent drama, yet somehow, I see a vulnerability here, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: I see the drama definitely in the foreshortening of the arm, and the tension in the hand. But vulnerability? Perhaps. Are we seeing preparations for a larger piece? Curator: Perhaps. Though it could also be an end in itself, an exercise in pure seeing. In the 18th century, academic training involved drawing from life and from plaster casts. These sketches, capturing the gesture and structure… each one is like a little dance. And doesn't the paper just feel alive? Almost breathing? The verso may contain just as much life as the recto, who knows what ghosts lie behind it… Do you see that too, or am I just rambling? Editor: No, not at all! Now that you mention the breathing quality and ghostly verso, it certainly adds depth. I guess it is just a simple figure study but looking a bit closer reveals far more. Thanks! Curator: Absolutely! Every sketch has its secrets. Happy I could help you unravel this particular one.