Studie af Oehlenschlæger efter maleri. Farveangivelser 1930 - 1936

This quick sketch was made by Niels Larsen Stevns with pencil on paper. It's a copy of another painting, a study. I love these drawings where you can see the artist thinking. I imagine him squinting, trying to capture the essentials, the shadow of the nose, the angle of the shoulders. You can see the ghost of lines where he tried one thing and then another. It's like watching a thought take shape. The diagonal hatching that defines the cloak is so alive. Look at the way the lines change direction, mimicking the folds and drapes of the fabric. It is a physical sensation, almost like feeling the weight and texture of the material. It reminds me of some of Philip Guston's late drawings, but with a softer touch. It's like the artist is in conversation with both the painting he's copying and all the paintings that could be.