Selvportræt med kalv 1910

This is a drawing, Self-Portrait with Calf, made by Theodor Philipsen using brown ink. Look at the nervous energy of these lines! It’s like Philipsen is trying to capture a fleeting moment. You can see the artist at his easel, a calf by his side, all rendered in these quick, searching marks. I can imagine him outside, squinting in the sun trying to capture the light and form. The way he’s used the ink, so sparse and yet so descriptive, reminds me of some of the sketches of Constable, or maybe even a quick study by Delacroix. You feel him thinking aloud through the pen, as line after line builds the figures. It’s a wonderful example of how much can be said with just a few gestures. It feels so immediate, so alive. And it reminds me that all paintings are essentially records of thought, and action.