Skitser af en buste 1904

Niels Larsen Stevns made this sketch of a bust sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century using pen and brown wash. The color palette is simple, earthy, and grounded, which allows us to really focus on the artist's line work. The quick, repetitive marks which define the second bust, tell a different story to the one on the left. What I find so charming about this piece is the contrast in styles. The bust on the left is fully realized, with a smooth, even application of wash. You can almost imagine Larsen Stevns carefully blending the colors to achieve a realistic, three-dimensional effect. On the other hand, the bust on the right feels spontaneous, gestural and unfinished, the hatching effect gives the bust form. It makes me think of Van Gogh's sketches, which are so full of energy and movement. This piece reminds us that art is an ongoing process, a conversation between the artist and the work, and that there's beauty in both the finished product and the journey to get there.