Studier af fugle, formentlig efter forlæg 1932 - 1935

This study of birds, probably after a model, was made by Niels Larsen Stevns, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The pencil sketches feel really immediate, like the artist was trying to quickly capture the essence of each bird. The texture of the paper is visible beneath the graphite, giving the drawing a sense of depth. The lines are loose and sketchy, not trying to be too precise, but rather suggesting form and movement. Look at the bird perched on the branch; the way the feathers are rendered with simple, curving strokes gives it a real sense of volume. It reminds me a little of the bird drawings by Charles Burchfield, who also sought to animate the natural world through his mark making. There’s an ambiguity to the piece, and it’s not always clear whether these are studies after real birds, or copies of existing artworks, but this very ambiguity makes the piece so compelling, and allows us to see the creative process at work.