Figurskitser 1932 - 1935

Editor: We are looking at *Figurskitser*, or Figure Sketches, by Niels Larsen Stevns, made between 1932 and 1935. It's a pencil drawing on paper currently held at the SMK. The drawings seem spontaneous and raw. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: What strikes me immediately is the artist's concentration on form and line. The figures, though appearing fragmented, demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of structure. Note the repetition of shapes and the negative space around the sketched figures. Editor: I see what you mean about the negative space, and how the unfinished background lines emphasize each separate figure. Curator: Exactly. The artist seems less concerned with realistic representation, and more with exploring the basic architecture of the human form. Observe the varying weights of the pencil lines— thicker in some areas, suggesting shadow, thinner in others, perhaps implying movement or incompleteness. The lack of shading flattens each object into a geometric abstraction. How does the interplay of these elements affect your perception? Editor: I'm drawn to the almost cubist quality. Are you suggesting that Stevns' main interest wasn't in portraying emotion, but more of an experiment with lines and geometric space on the paper? Curator: Precisely. By reducing the figure to its essential lines and shapes, he invites us to consider the formal relationships within the composition— the rhythm of lines, the balance of forms, and the overall structure of the image. It’s less about 'who' and more about 'how.' Editor: It is interesting how much you can interpret without concerning yourself with the historical or cultural context. Thanks for your perspective. I will definitely look at artworks through a new lens. Curator: And I value your fresh insight; focusing on raw impressions, an exercise that we should repeat!