Studier af næsebjørn 1864 - 1941

Here's a page of animal studies by Niels Larsen Stevns, drawn with pencil, it looks like. It's fascinating to me how little you need to do to make an animal – just a few lines, and suddenly there’s a whole creature there. It’s so simple, direct, and economical, and that’s what makes it beautiful. The artist isn't trying to show off. Instead, it's a quiet, intuitive way of seeing and recording the world. Look at the way the lines overlap and intersect, creating a sense of depth and volume. You can almost feel the texture of the paper and the pressure of the pencil. It’s like the artist is thinking through drawing, using the medium to explore the form and structure of the animal. It reminds me a little bit of Picasso's animal studies and how those were an ongoing conversation of ideas. It’s really about the joy of looking and the endless possibilities of art-making.