Natten, en hvilende kvindefigur. Udført som grisaille. Samme komposition som Td 542,38 dog uden vinger og med udslået hår 1743 - 1809

Nicolai Abildgaard rendered this grisaille drawing of a reclining female figure, embodying 'Night'. We observe a classical representation, where the figure, devoid of wings, is characterized by her flowing hair and the drapery she holds. The Greeks called her Nyx, the Romans Nox, and she was considered a fundamental cosmic entity, underlining the mysterious, primordial force of darkness and the unknown. Consider how the motif of flowing hair, often associated with sleep and dreams, appears throughout art history. Think of Sandro Botticelli’s Venus, whose undulating hair mirrors the waves of her birth. Or consider the ecstatic dishevelment of a Maenad, frenzied and possessed. The image resonates with a profound psychological landscape, where the veil she holds represents the border between consciousness and the subconscious. This image is not just a depiction, but an enduring symbol that resurfaces across epochs, each time colored by the fears, hopes, and dreams of its age.