Udkast til øverste del af "Gabriel Rytter og Heksene" 1917

This is a study for the upper part of "Gabriel Rytter and the Witches," by Niels Skovgaard. It’s undated and was made with pen and ink on paper. The hatching! Look at all that hatching! It's like a controlled frenzy, right? Skovgaard is building up tone and volume, but also, there’s this amazing energy in the mark-making. Check out the lower section of the image where the hatching is concentrated, creating a dark, cavernous space, contrasted with the top section of the paper, which is left almost untouched save for the tiny, centered, almost cartoonish emblem. I love how that blankness hovers over the intensity below. It makes me think about scale, about the epic versus the intimate. Skovgaard’s drawing reminds me of the graphic power of someone like Alfred Kubin. Both artists delve into dreamlike subject matter through this intense mark making. Ultimately, this drawing isn't about answers; it's about embracing the mystery of the creative process.