Silver Mug c. 1986

Holger Hansen rendered this drawing of a silver mug sometime between 1855 and 1995. The image has an evocative quality, achieved through tonal modulations and gradations in light and shadow. The handle's elegant curve is set off against the cylindrical form of the mug. Hansen is interested in the mug as form, and with its depiction as an aesthetic object. The drawing employs a semiotic system where the mug itself functions as a signifier. The choice of silver as a medium is also significant. Silver, as a precious metal, suggests value and status, influencing our perception of the mug. It could be argued that Hansen’s work is not just about representing an object, but about exploring the structures of value and meaning we assign to everyday items. Note the artist’s skilled use of light and shadow which gives the piece an almost photographic clarity. This elevation of a common object to a subject worthy of artistic attention challenges traditional hierarchies. This invites us to question the values we place on objects and how these values are constructed.