Figur- og kompositionsskitser 1879 - 1910

Oluf Hartmann made these figure and composition sketches with pen, charcoal, and ink on paper. The strokes of pen and charcoal are tentative, as though Hartmann is thinking through the composition as he works. The ink, by contrast, is applied more liberally, with some areas thickly layered with paint. Together these materials produce contrasts in texture and form. The rapid strokes suggest a mind at work, each mark capturing an idea being worked out on the page. This exploratory drawing process demonstrates an engagement with artmaking as not just an aesthetic practice, but as a mode of creative research. Hartmann is working out the different aspects of a painting. The use of these media – pen, charcoal, and ink on paper – suggests a certain level of resourcefulness, a capacity for creativity, and perhaps even the social and economic context of the artist. This reminds us that art making involves a lot more than the finished product.