Beskrivelse og farveangivelser til maleri med Dante og Beatrice 1913 - 1914

J.A. Jerichau (II) made this preparatory sketch and colour annotations for a painting with Dante and Beatrice in 1916, probably with graphite and coloured pencil on paper. Looking at this page, I’m struck by the directness of the marks. It's a space where the artist seems to be thinking out loud, making connections between words and images in a way that feels raw and immediate. The handwriting, with its looping forms, has a rhythmic quality, like a dance across the page. You can see the artist pausing, reconsidering, crossing out words, and adding new thoughts. The material quality of the paper itself – its texture and color – adds another layer of meaning. I love when you can see the history of the artmaking process in the work itself. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's work, where writing and drawing merge into a single, unified gesture. It's not about creating a perfect image, but about capturing a moment of thought and feeling. And that’s what makes art so exciting – it's always open to interpretation, always inviting us to bring our own experiences and perspectives to the table.