"Ivan Turgenjew: En adelig Rede" 1938

Christian Kongstad Petersen created "Ivan Turgenjew: En adelig Rede" using graphite on paper. The choice of graphite, a humble material, allows for expressive mark-making, while the paper’s texture influences the overall appearance with a tactile quality. The drawing process, with its layering and shading, creates depth and volume, giving the scene a sense of immediacy and intimacy. We can see the traditions of academic drawing in the artist's rendering of form and space, but also a more informal, sketch-like quality. What is interesting is that the artist chose such a common material to create a composition after a novel about Russian aristocracy, as the means of production seem to be more important to the artist than the aristocratic setting or story. Petersen chose a different path by making something ordinary to emphasize this. This piece reminds us that every artwork is inextricably linked to broader social issues of labor, politics, and consumption.