Søje fra S. Bernadino, Bologna 1896

Curator: Welcome. Here we have Niels Larsen Stevns' "Søje fra S. Bernadino, Bologna," a pencil and coloured pencil drawing from 1896. It's currently held at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Editor: My initial impression is one of classical restraint. The sketch presents two distinct architectural fragments, almost austere in their simplicity. Curator: The drawing focuses on classical architectural elements. Think of it: stone hewn from the earth, transported, and then shaped by skilled artisans to form these elements. Their placement elevates them from mere material to something… spiritual, almost. Editor: I'm particularly struck by the composition itself. The choice to depict the architectural components in an isolated manner allows one to contemplate the abstract beauty of geometric form, to decode Stevns’ choice of medium and strokes. How the strokes depict mass and light. Curator: Absolutely. Consider too the artistic conventions in place at that time—the emphasis on historical subjects, academic precision… Stevns had the option of capturing the world, but instead focuses on this artifact. A reflection on past power and the current day artisan? Editor: I'm fascinated by the deliberate incompleteness, which is highlighted in both the capital on the left and what could perhaps be the top portion of a plinth on the right, giving an illusionary appearance through line and form. Curator: It evokes a poignant feeling of impermanence, or memory itself—fleeting, fragmented and rebuilt, and then gone again. It makes us consider what’s left of a past civilization. Editor: Indeed, the drawing masterfully conveys this architectural subject into pure visual elements, independent of any external narrative. Its essence lies in its ability to evoke visual perception through minimal means. Curator: For me, Stevns reminds us of how we assign meaning and value to remnants. What they stood for versus their material nature now separated from society. Editor: Agreed. The artwork provokes reflection on the interaction between the artist’s execution, architectural elements, and a meditation of perception itself. Curator: A confluence of the material, historical, and ephemeral captured on paper.