Dammen ved Hammermøllen 1843

Dankvart Dreyer created this drawing, "Dammen ved Hammermøllen," with pen and brown ink. The composition is dominated by horizontal lines of the water against the vertical strokes used to suggest trees and foliage, creating a sense of depth. Dreyer uses a semiotic system where strokes and lines act as signs, converting the natural world into an abstract but recognizable form. The light-filled sky contrasts with the darker, denser thicket, constructing a binary that invites us to contemplate the dialectical relationship between light and shadow, clarity and obscurity. Notice the way the artist uses the formal element of line to delineate shapes, create texture, and structure the composition. The formal elements create a discourse around representation, inviting us to question the relationship between the signifier, or the artwork, and the signified, the natural world it represents.