Pave Sixtus IV overrækker 1474 Christian I en indviet Rose

Jürgen Ovens made this drawing, Pave Sixtus IV overrækker 1474 Christian I en indviet Rose, with pen and brown ink. It's a study, a means to an end. The relatively modest dimensions of the sheet also point to its functionality. The use of pen and ink allows for precise, detailed linework, which Ovens employs to capture the likenesses of the figures and the architectural setting, yet there is a spontaneity here, a directness, that suggests the artist was more concerned with capturing the essence of the scene rather than producing a highly finished work. Although this medium is deeply traditional, dating back to the Renaissance and earlier, Ovens gives it a unique application. His brisk handling of the pen, almost journalistic, turns away from painterly illusion. Rather, he is interested in the document, the record. Ultimately, it’s the drawing’s status as a preparation that gives it so much appeal. It is a reminder that so much of visual culture is the product of hard work.