The Great Red Rock 1919

Birger Sandzén made "The Great Red Rock" using crayon or lithographic pencil on paper, with an approach that's all about the layering of marks. The density of the lines in the sky, and the way he uses hatching and cross-hatching, gives a real sense of volume and texture to the rock formation. It’s like he's carving into the surface, even though it's just on paper. I'm drawn to the way the lines mimic the geological strata of the rock. You can almost feel the weight and age of the stone. Check out how he uses these short, choppy strokes to build up the shadows and create a sense of depth. There’s a kind of rhythmic quality to the marks, like he's responding to the natural rhythms of the landscape itself. Sandzén was a contemporary of the Group of Seven, and this piece shares their interest in capturing the raw, untamed beauty of the natural world. But he does it with this really intimate, almost tactile approach.