Studie af svane 1864 - 1941

This drawing of a swan by Niels Larsen Stevns is on paper, and it looks like it comes from a sketchbook. Isn’t it funny how a few simple lines can conjure an entire animal? I love how Stevns uses so few marks to suggest the form. There's this one flowing line that defines the swan's neck, and it’s so elegant and confident. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving quickly across the page, capturing the essence of the swan in just a few strokes. It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s drawings, where the gesture is everything and the subject is almost secondary. It’s not about perfection, it’s about capturing a feeling or a moment. That’s what makes art so exciting; it’s not about showing us what we already know, but about opening up new ways of seeing.