Løse rids 1900 - 1905

This is an undated drawing called "Loose Sketches" by Niels Larsen Stevns, made with what looks like a soft graphite pencil in a sketchpad. The marks are light and looping, made with a casual rhythm, like someone thinking out loud. What I love about drawings like this is how process becomes the point. The texture of the paper is apparent; you can even see the underlying grid, which lends a sense of structure to the otherwise free-flowing lines. Notice the repeated, arcing gestures, how they overlap and intersect, creating a sense of depth. It’s as though Stevns is trying to capture movement or air. There's a particular scribble at the bottom – a cluster of lines that seem to ground the composition. For me, this piece is very reminiscent of some of Twombly’s sketches. Both artists share a love for the ambiguous, for the suggestive power of the incomplete. These aren't statements, they are questions posed with a pencil.