Stående kvinde 1905

Joakim Skovgaard made this drawing of a standing woman, in 1905, with graphite on paper. What strikes me is the tentative quality of the marks. It’s like he’s feeling his way into the form, letting the lines emerge gradually. The texture of the paper is visible, and the graphite is applied with varying pressure, creating a range of tonal values. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the surface, carefully building up the image. The folds of the woman’s dress are rendered with simple, vertical lines, while her face is more detailed, with subtle shading around the eyes and mouth. Notice the faint sketch of another figure in the background – a ghostly presence that adds to the sense of mystery. It reminds me of the way Giacometti would build up a form through obsessive, repetitive marks, always searching, never quite resolving. Ultimately, this drawing is a testament to the power of process, of allowing the artwork to unfold organically through the act of making. It’s a reminder that art is not about perfection, but about the beauty of imperfection and the ongoing dialogue between artist and medium.