Blank 1864 - 1941

This blank page, by Niels Larsen Stevns, is a reminder that art can be about beginnings, about potential, not just about finished things. It's like that first day of school when you have a brand-new notebook, and you're almost afraid to write in it. Look at the warm, off-white color of the paper, and how it's aged around the edges. The texture is smooth but not too perfect. You can almost feel the fibers of the paper. It's like Stevns is saying, "Here's a space, what are you going to do with it?". And that's where the magic happens, right? In the possibilities. This makes me think of Agnes Martin's subtle, pale canvases, which invite quiet contemplation. Both artists, in their own ways, show us that art isn't always about filling every space, but about creating a space for thought, for feeling, for possibility.