Standing Figure, Blue Dress 1941

Niels Larsen Stevns made this painting, "Standing Figure, Blue Dress," with oil on canvas, though the exact date is unknown. I love how Stevns attacks the canvas with these big, broad strokes. The process is right there on the surface, not hidden, but celebrated. Look at the way he builds up the paint, thick and juicy, especially in the blue dress and the background. You can almost feel the texture of the bristles dragging across the surface. Notice the pink underpainting that comes through like a blush on the figure's arms and dress. It's like he's not just painting what he sees, but also the feeling of being in that room, the light, the air. It reminds me a little of Bonnard, in the way he uses color to create mood, but Stevns has a rawer, more immediate energy. This painting is a reminder that art is about more than just representation, it's about the messy, beautiful process of seeing and feeling the world.