Kompositionsudkast 1935

Agnes Slott-Møller made this compositional sketch with a pencil sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. Just imagine her, maybe in her studio, a quiet space filled with sketches, books, and the scent of pencils, mapping out figures in light and shadow, and playing with gothic motifs. You can sense the gentle hand, working out the forms. Maybe she was thinking about medieval tapestries or stained glass. She was clearly interested in the relationship between figures and setting, and it is all about how to create a sense of drama and storytelling. There is something so appealing about sketches. I find myself wondering what was on her mind. Did she feel that she could capture the essence of a moment or convey a feeling through the composition? This reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s drawings. They are both involved with themes of symbolism and the figure. It makes you realize that we’re all just trying to figure things out. Each sketch, each painting, is a little conversation between artists across time.