Kristi opstandelse 1933 - 1934

Niels Larsen Stevns made this drawing of the 'Kristi opstandelse', or Christ’s resurrection, with ink on paper. It's all about the hand here, as in many sketches. You can see how the artist uses the grid lines of the notebook as a jumping-off point, almost like musical notation for making marks. The texture is incredible when you look closely. Some lines are thick and confident, while others are thin and tentative, like Stevns is feeling his way through the idea. The smudges add depth and shadow, making it feel like something is emerging from the page. Take a look at the figure at the top – the explosion of marks around it make the figure almost vibrate with energy. It reminds me of the expressive freedom you see in the works of someone like Cy Twombly, where the process of mark-making becomes as important as the subject itself. It shows art is a conversation, and every artist is just riffing off what came before.