Studier af fugle 1864 - 1941

This page of bird studies was made by Niels Larsen Stevns, and is held at the SMK. It’s not dated, but you can imagine the artist capturing fleeting moments with quick, light pencil strokes. The marks are delicate, almost tentative. Larsen Stevns doesn’t belabor details, instead he concentrates on capturing the gesture of these small birds, their essence, as if he were trying to catch a memory before it disappears. The paper has aged to a warm tone. Look closely, and you can almost feel the grain of the paper beneath the graphite. The lines create a sense of movement, as though the birds are about to take flight, captured in a dance of observation and representation. This sketch book format reminds me of Manet, always sketching, always refining his practice in quiet. Like Manet, Larsen Stevns understands that art is an ongoing conversation. It's not about fixed meanings, but about embracing ambiguity and the multiple possibilities of a fleeting moment.