Studie af Anders Sandøe Ørsted efter portrætbuste på Frederiksborg 1930 - 1938

Niels Larsen Stevns made this sketch of Anders Sandøe Ørsted, after a portrait bust, with pencil in hand and an open sketchbook. The quick, scribbled lines suggest the artist was trying to capture something fleeting, maybe the essence of the bust's form, or even the feeling it evoked. It’s all about process, a raw, unfiltered exploration. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the paper, the way the pencil marks vary in darkness and thickness depending on the pressure Stevns applied. The hatching gives a sense of volume and shadow, even though it's just a sketch. Notice the bold, almost frantic lines around the face. They convey a sense of restless energy. This reminds me a bit of Rodin’s drawings – that same focus on capturing movement and emotion through line. Art is a conversation, and Stevns seems to be in dialogue with artists of his time, grappling with similar questions about form, representation, and the expressive power of the line. Ultimately, it's not about perfection, but about the messy, beautiful process of seeing and trying to understand.