Kompositionsskitse: nogle mennesker bærer en død? 1904 - 1909

This is a sketch in graphite on paper made by the Danish artist Karl Isakson. Isakson, who lived from 1878 to 1922, made this sketch, which translates to “Compositional Sketch: Some People Carrying a Dead Person?”, at a time when Europe was facing immense social and political upheaval. A sense of profound collective grief had settled after the First World War. This piece really touches on themes of mortality, burden, and communal suffering. The sketch shows a group of figures bent under the weight of an unseen form. The figures are rendered with quick, expressive lines, conveying a sense of urgency and shared struggle. It makes you wonder about the stories and identities of those carrying and the carried, and how these simple lines evoke feelings of empathy and solidarity. The ambiguity of the figures allows you to see yourself, or anyone, in their place. This piece resonates with the universal human experiences of loss and the burdens we carry, both literally and figuratively, and it is a reminder of our shared humanity in times of crisis.