Liggende nøgen kvinde i hængekøje. 1912

Curator: This pencil sketch from 1912 is titled *Liggende nøgen kvinde i hængekøje*, which translates to “Reclining Nude Woman in a Hammock.” It’s by Othon Friesz, currently residing here at the SMK. Editor: It’s beautifully languid, almost collapsing in its relaxation. The quick, restless pencil strokes give a real sense of momentary observation. Does this speak to his Expressionist style? Curator: Absolutely. You can see his expressionistic tendencies in how he uses line and shadow to convey a mood of casual intimacy. Rather than precise realism, the emphasis is on capturing the feeling of a private moment. Editor: The use of pencil adds to that intimacy, right? It feels almost like peeking into his sketchbook. There's a roughness, a directness. It bypasses the pretension sometimes associated with “high art.” I can almost smell the graphite and imagine the scrape of the pencil. Curator: I like how you are thinking about materials. His use of pencil contributes to its unvarnished authenticity. The nude in art has such a complex and loaded history, often associated with ideals or symbolic meaning. Here, it feels more immediate, more human. I wouldn't disagree about intimacy either. Editor: How radical was this approach in 1912? Was it challenging any prevailing artistic norms in his context? Curator: He's working against the idealized nudes prevalent at the time. This isn't about flawless beauty; it’s about capturing the curve of a hip, the droop of a wrist, the fall of hair – a real, lived-in body at ease. And of course, the title specifies "hammock" – there are connotations with a bohemian, even tropical leisure. It hints at an increasingly commercial global South that could deliver that relaxation to your doorstep, with Friesz as our armchair traveler. Editor: That certainly casts it in a different light, considering labor and consumption in the global North at the time. Well, whether a vacation snapshot or something more complex, it’s still fascinating to observe Friesz’s rendering of ease. The work does capture that sensation in the figure's pose. Curator: Exactly. And to feel how a specific tool - pencil, paper - can also produce an emotion so vivid. It invites us to revel in the pure feeling of being present.