Figures by a tent
Crayon on paper 24 x 31.5 cm.
Carl Fredrik Hill's drawing "Orientaler" in the collections of the Malmö Konstmuseum, just like the auction's drawing "Figures by a tent," are examples of the artist's interest in "exotic" motifs. Lennart Hagerf writes in a section of Adolf Andersberg's volume "Carl Hill. Hans liv och verk" that Hill undoubtedly drew inspiration from Eugène Delacroix's and A. G. Decamps' Orientalist painting, but that he then translated these impressions, both in colour chalk and in black and white, into his own artistic language. Hagerf writes:
"In a suite of drawings, he [Hill] has with unfailing artistry depicted oriental figures and allowed the dark skin tones of hands and faces to effectively contrast with light garments and backgrounds, arranging the figures so that the dark accents are rhythmically distributed across the entire picture surface." (Anderberg 1951, pp. 297–98)
"Figures by a tent" is reminiscent of "Orientaler", but is considerably more elaborate and detailed. Here, Hill has drawn a group of four figures – two men and two women – who stand and sit in front of a tent. All four are dressed in ankle-length tunics and have turbans wrapped around their heads. The nearest figure also wears gloves and holds a long rifle in his left hand. Behind the figures, an opening of some kind can be discerned. Perhaps it is the tent fabric that has been pulled aside to allow entry into the dwelling. At the same time, the shape of the tent recalls Hill's way of drawing mountains, further enhancing the association with stark mountain and desert landscapes.
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