Figur- og kompositionsskitser 1879 - 1910

Oluf Hartmann made these "Figure and Composition Sketches" using graphite on paper, most likely during the late 19th or early 20th century. The immediacy and roughness of graphite lend themselves to the artist's process of rapid ideation, as we can see here in this study sheet. The various figures and compositions have been set down as a foundation to be built upon, each a test to visualize, and an aid to produce the final artwork. Hartmann has combined a few different sketches on a single sheet, allowing us to witness the artist's labor, and to catch a glimpse of how he was thinking through the problem of the composition. The sketches show a range of subjects in what seem to be domestic environments. Whether used for a painting, sculpture, or print, this sheet reveals that all finished artworks have their genesis in a more humble, handmade process.