Stående klovn i kjolefrakke med løftet højre arm. 1908 - 1909

This drawing of a clown with his arm raised, whereabouts unknown, was made by Othon Friesz with pencil on paper. The immediacy of the pencil line here makes it feel like we're watching the artwork come into being. There’s a raw, almost urgent quality to Friesz's mark-making. Look at the way the lines wobble and stutter, especially around the figure's costume. They aren't trying to trick us into thinking this is a real clown. It's more like a feeling of clown, a clownish essence. The quick, almost scribbled lines describing the clown's form have a really interesting energy. Friesz isn’t interested in perfection; he's capturing a fleeting moment, a gesture. He reminds me a little of Daumier, especially in the way he uses line to capture movement and expression. It's like he's saying, "Here's a thought, a feeling, a clown." And that's enough. Ultimately, Friesz reminds us that art is an ongoing experiment, a conversation across time and space. It's not about answers, it's about asking questions and staying curious.