Uidentificerede rids 1900 - 1905

This is an unassuming graphite drawing made by Niels Larsen Stevns. It’s all soft grays, really just the trace of a hand moving back and forth, again and again. I imagine Stevns, sketchbook in tow, maybe on a train, or in a park, just letting his hand go for a walk. Look at the repeated ovals, like little worlds bumping up against each other. There's a real sense of freedom and play here, like he's not trying to capture anything specific, but just exploring the possibilities of mark-making. The whole page feels alive with potential. It reminds me of Cy Twombly's scribbles, or maybe some of Guston's looser drawings—that same sense of searching and finding through the act of drawing. You know, artists are always in conversation with each other, even across time. Stevns’ drawing, in its own quiet way, keeps that conversation going. It's a reminder that sometimes the most interesting things happen when we let go of control and just let our hands lead the way.