Studier af cirkulære ornamenter. Skitser af figurer og romansk søjlekapitæl 1906

Niels Larsen Stevns made these studies of circular ornaments and sketches in a notebook, using graphite. I love sketchbooks! This one feels like a cozy peek into Stevns's mind as he puzzles through shapes and forms. There are rows of circles, each one different, and architectural fragments that look like they were plucked straight from a medieval church. I imagine Stevns, notebook in hand, wandering around old buildings, pausing to quickly capture the essence of a carved capital or the pattern of a rosette. It makes me think about my own process, always circling back, trying different angles, embracing the messy imperfection of the first idea. Isn't it wonderful how artists throughout history have engaged in this kind of visual conversation, riffing off each other's ideas, borrowing and transforming? These simple sketches are not just studies; they're a testament to the ongoing dialogue between artists, where every line and shape holds a universe of possibilities.