Frugter 1911

This humble drawing of tomatoes by J.A. Jerichau, made sometime between 1890 and 1916, speaks volumes. Look at how the soft graphite lines capture the weight of the fruit. I imagine Jerichau in a sun-drenched garden, sketching these tomatoes, maybe for dinner. The diagonal marks that delineate form feel immediate, like the artist is wrestling to capture a fleeting moment of beauty. You can almost feel the roundness of the tomato in your hand, as the artist has done. The texture of the paper adds another layer, a subtle graininess that contrasts with the smoothness of the fruit. These tomatoes bring to mind Morandi’s still lives, simple subjects rendered profound through careful observation. Artists have always looked to the everyday for inspiration, finding poetry in the simplest of things, and inspiring each other across time. These drawings remind us that everything is interesting if you look closely enough.