Skitser af rovfugle, fuglevinger og løve. Landskabsskitse 1900 - 1905

Niels Larsen Stevns made these studies of birds and a landscape with pencil on paper. Look at the variety of marks he makes. You can almost feel the scratch of the graphite as he searches to capture the essence of the vultures or the spread of a wing. I can imagine him, sketchbook in hand, perched somewhere outdoors, rapidly sketching these birds. What was he thinking? He must have been trying to understand how they're put together, their bone structure, their musculature, how they exist in space. The sharp, jabbing lines communicate the intentness of his gaze, seeking to understand. The physicality of the medium is apparent. The texture of the paper and the varying pressure of the pencil create a rich surface. It’s interesting to see these studies alongside his more finished paintings. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they? Testing, borrowing, and riffing off one another's ideas across time. Painting is an ongoing process of inquiry, embracing ambiguity and allowing for multiple interpretations.