Den gamle kone fletter hår 1928

This drawing, by Fritz Syberg, shows an old woman in a domestic interior, made with pencil on paper. There’s a real tenderness in the way the artist renders the scene, a network of hatched lines that create depth and shadow while also giving the whole composition a feeling of lightness. I’m drawn to the figure of the woman, and the way Syberg uses the pencil to capture the weight of her body as she sits on the stool, and how the dark lines around her head suggest the fabric of her headdress, framing her face. The cat is a great touch; like a furry full stop at the end of a sentence, it anchors the whole composition. The proximity of the woman, the cat, the hen and the duck creates an amusing and affecting scene. This drawing reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s sketches of peasant women, which are likewise rooted in close observation of everyday life. Art is never a solo act but a long conversation, and Syberg’s drawing feels like a thoughtful contribution.