Svane 1911

J.A. Jerichau made this drawing of a swan with pencil on paper. It’s all about the line here, isn’t it? The way the pencil moves so freely, almost like a dance across the page. I love the way Jerichau captures the essence of the swan with such simplicity. The texture of the paper peeks through, giving it a raw, immediate feel. And look at the way the light seems to play on the swan's neck, all suggested with just a few strokes of the pencil. It's like Jerichau is thinking out loud, working through the form in front of us. The dark shading around the swan’s eye really pulls the viewer in and makes it feel more alive. It reminds me a bit of Matisse's line drawings, that same sense of capturing the essential form with the fewest possible strokes. I’m left feeling that art is about an exchange of ideas and inspiration through time. It's an ongoing conversation, a way of seeing and feeling the world that’s always in motion.