Stående kvindelig model 1918 - 1923

Vilhelm Lundstrom made this drawing, Stående kvindelig model, with graphite on paper. It's a study of a nude, but more than that it's a study of mark making. Lundstrom leaves a lot of the lines raw, the marks are vulnerable and immediate, almost like thinking aloud. There are these long, emphatic marks to the left of the figure, where the graphite seems to move away from the form and into the atmosphere. It's like he's capturing not just the body, but the energy around it. I love the way the quick, scratchy lines build up the form, especially around the back and shoulders, it’s like he's mapping the topography of the body with these tiny, urgent marks. It reminds me of the raw energy of some of Matisse's line drawings and reminds us that art is a process of ongoing exploration and discovery.