Blank 1864 - 1941

This is a blank page in what looks like a sketchbook by Niels Larsen Stevns. It’s kind of exciting, isn't it? All that possibility! I think about what it's like when I start a painting, that moment of complete openness, but also the slight terror of facing the unknown. It's a very strange and exhilarating feeling. Just looking at this blank page, I wonder what the artist was thinking? Did he pause here, maybe contemplating his next move, or was it just a moment of rest before diving back in? It’s really beautiful, the texture of the paper, its creamy tone, and the slight imperfections that tell a story of time and use. You see a few little spots and marks – ghost images of thoughts passing through. The way one artist leaves a trace, like a breadcrumb for another is so moving to me. It reminds me that we're all in this conversation together, across time and space. A blank page is never really blank, is it? It’s full of potential energy, waiting for the next mark to be made, and the conversation to continue.