Studie af frontalfigur 1919

This tiny sketch by Niels Larsen Stevns is all about process, I think. It's like he's thinking through the figure, one line at a time. Look at the way he’s built up the form with these hesitant, searching lines. It's not about capturing a likeness, but about understanding the structure. You can almost feel him feeling his way around the contours of the body. The texture of the paper is so present too. It’s not trying to be anything other than what it is: a support for this exploration. Notice how the lines around the head are more scribbled, a kind of shorthand for the complexity of the human face. For me, this piece is a reminder that art isn't about perfection; it's about the journey. It puts me in mind of Picasso's sketches, where you see the artist wrestling with form and space. There’s a beauty in that struggle, a vulnerability that I find really compelling.