Framed Pencil on Paper, Standing Nude at the Table, c. 1950s by Lars Herder
Lars Herder (1923–1976)
Standing Nude at the Table, c. 1950s
Pencil on paperMeasures - 33 x 28 cm.
In this intimate study, Lars Herder captures a moment of quiet, bodily presence. The figure—seen from behind—leans forward onto a table or counter, one leg lifted in a relaxed, almost unconscious gesture. Herder’s use of line is both economical and expressive, suggesting mass and movement with minimal means.
The drawing reveals his sensitivity to volume, balance, and the everyday gestures of the human body. Far from idealised, Herder’s nude is grounded and real, rendered with a gentle eye that avoids spectacle. The background, built up through cross-hatching and suggestive geometry, frames the figure without distraction.
Herder's work, though relatively little-known during his lifetime, now offers a compelling window into the quieter corners of postwar European draughtsmanship—where observation, not ornament, was the guiding force.