Portræt af maleren Kristian Zahrtman. Brystbillede 1910 - 1914

This drawing of Kristian Zahrtman was made by Peter Hansen with pencil on paper. It’s so interesting how, with what looks like a few simple strokes, Hansen captures a likeness of the painter Zahrtmann. Look at the hatching around the sitter's mouth and chin; see how these marks suggest the volume and form of his face. There’s a real economy of means here. The surface of the paper is visible throughout, creating a sense of lightness and immediacy. It is a sketch, a study – so the materiality is very present. The slightly frenetic scribbles that describe the form of the tie, contrast to the calm of the face. You can sense that Hansen has considered the character of his subject and this makes the image resonate. It puts me in mind of a similar study by Gwen John, a fellow portrait of an artist made with very simple means. These kind of portraits remind us that art is fundamentally about people looking at other people and attempting to understand them.