Figurstudie 1930 - 1936

This study by Niels Larsen Stevns is made with pencil on paper. What strikes me is how it appears that Stevns is thinking through drawing. He layers the marks as if building or searching for form. It feels exploratory, like he’s inviting the viewer into his thought process. I imagine him, sketchbook in hand, rapidly sketching to capture the essence of the figure before him. The lines are tentative, almost hesitant, yet there’s a determination there, a desire to grasp something elusive. You see the faint traces of erasures; ghosts of earlier marks suggesting a mind in constant revision. The quality of the strokes is also varied. There are hard, decisive marks but also light wispy lines, communicating a whole range of intentions. It reminds me of some of Degas' sketches. It’s as if these artists are in conversation across time, each grappling with similar challenges. Ultimately, for me, this sketch embodies the beautiful ambiguity of the creative process— the artist's struggle to see and understand.