En ældre kone, der står med en smørkærner 1902 - 1903

This drawing of an elderly woman with a butter churn was made by Niels Larsen Stevns, but the date is unknown. You can see the artist mapping out the forms of this woman, her dress, her posture, with gentle graphite lines. It’s a process of searching. I love how the paper has these subtle stains and imperfections, like the ghost of a failed print. I love the wash of blue at the bottom, which brings a soft focus to the base of the drawing. These aspects make it feel so much more alive than a pristine surface. There's a real delicacy here in the lines, but also a tentative aspect to the work, it feels like the artist is working something out. The way he renders the churn, looping it with light curves reminds me of Matisse’s line drawings. What’s exciting about works like this is that they show us that art is less about a destination, and more about an ongoing conversation.