Udkast til "Den barmhjertige Samaritaner" 1937 - 1938

This pencil sketch, "Udkast til 'Den barmhjertige Samaritaner'," was made by Niels Larsen Stevns. It's all about mark-making and the start of something bigger. It's on paper, so the texture we're seeing is that of the page itself, toothy and soft. What gets me going, though, is how Stevns builds the image with simple, direct lines. Take a look at the lower left corner. There's this scribbled hatching that suggests shadow and volume, but it's also just marks on a page. You can see how Stevns is thinking through the image, figuring it out as he goes. You know who this reminds me of? Käthe Kollwitz. Both artists use line and gesture to get at something deep and human. Art isn't about perfect renderings, it's about embracing the messy process of seeing and feeling, right?