Liggende kvindelig model, ben mod højre 1946 - 1949

Editor: We're looking at "Liggende kvindelig model, ben mod højre" - "Reclining Female Model, Legs to the Right" – a pencil drawing by Vilhelm Lundstrom, created sometime between 1946 and 1949. The quick, spare lines give the impression of a body distilled to its essential forms. What stands out to you about the composition? Curator: Immediately, the interplay between line and form commands attention. Note how Lundstrom eschews traditional modeling in favor of geometric abstraction. Observe, for instance, the rendering of the torso as a series of interconnected curves and planes. How does this reduction to essential geometric forms affect your reading of the figure? Editor: I think it removes some of the…softness? It feels more about shape than sensuality, almost like an architectural study. Is he using the body to explore abstract composition? Curator: Precisely. We must consider the work's materiality. It is, after all, a drawing. Pencil on paper, its value emerges less from its illusionistic capacity than from its demonstrably constructed quality. The visible pencil strokes and the bareness of the surrounding paper remind us of the act of creation. Note also the implied volumes created by the varying density of lines. What principles of organization do you detect in the application of the medium? Editor: I see it now – how the heavier lines define the edges, giving depth. So, the value lies in appreciating the line work itself, not in seeing a perfect representation of a nude? Curator: Precisely. It is a negotiation between representation and pure form. Ultimately, it compels us to reconsider our assumptions about the very nature of figurative art. Editor: I see that – focusing on the drawing itself allows you to appreciate how the composition conveys shape without the detail. Thanks, that gave me a new lens to look through.