Skitse til fakkeltoget til "H.C. Andersens i Odense" 1864 - 1941

Niels Larsen Stevns made this sketch for a torchlight procession honouring H.C. Andersen in Odense using graphite on paper. The sketch has an urgent, immediate quality, like Stevns was trying to capture a fleeting thought or image. I can almost see him rapidly moving his hand across the paper. He's laid down a flurry of lines, and a constellation of small circles, suggesting the flickering movement of torches. I love how simple and direct it is! It reminds me of Cy Twombly’s work. You know, the way he used loose, scribbled lines to create a sense of movement and energy. I wonder if Stevns was thinking about similar ideas when he made this sketch? Maybe he was trying to capture the feeling of excitement and anticipation that comes with a public celebration? Artists are constantly riffing off each other like that, borrowing ideas and techniques across time. It’s like one big conversation. This little sketch isn't just a record of an event. It’s a moment of embodied expression and thinking.