Figurstudier til Langelinje-billedet 1923 - 1927

Edvard Weie made this charcoal sketch on paper to study figures for a larger painting. The charcoal marks are so light, aren't they? He was probably trying to capture the figures' essential forms and the way they move. I love how the quick, almost scribbled lines give a sense of energy and immediacy, as if Weie was trying to catch a fleeting moment. You can almost feel him, quickly working to get the figures down, figuring out how they relate to each other. It’s like he's thinking through drawing. I wonder what he was thinking about as he made this study? Maybe he was trying to work out the balance between realism and abstraction, or how to convey the hustle and bustle of the Langelinje he was trying to capture in paint. It’s so interesting how artists use studies like this to lay the groundwork for their larger works. It shows how much thought and preparation goes into creating a painting.