Skitser af køer 1900 - 1905

Editor: This piece is titled "Skitser af køer," or "Sketches of Cows," created by Niels Larsen Stevns between 1900 and 1905. It's a pencil drawing on paper, and it strikes me as quite simple and immediate, capturing the everyday lives of these animals. What stands out to you? Curator: Well, let's consider the materiality. Pencil on paper: readily available, cheap even. These aren't finished artworks, they’re tools. For what though? Where were these cows? The means of production here speaks to the increasing industrialization of agriculture at the turn of the century. Are they studies for a larger piece meant to romanticize a disappearing rural past, or observations of a changing economic landscape? Editor: That's an interesting perspective. I hadn't considered the social context so deeply. So, you're saying that even a seemingly simple sketch of cows can reflect broader economic shifts? Curator: Absolutely. And it’s not just the subject matter but the medium. A quick, reproducible medium like pencil reflects the growing demand for visual representations of the world accessible to a broader public. Are these sketches made for himself? Or potentially a printed book or distributed work? Editor: That makes me think about how artists choose their materials. Is the choice of pencil and paper a statement in itself? Curator: Possibly. By not employing more 'precious' materials, perhaps Stevns subtly challenges traditional hierarchies between high art and the daily realities and labour they rely on. The accessibility of these materials also makes artmaking more democratized. Editor: So, by looking at the materials and process, we gain a much richer understanding of the artwork's meaning and its place in society. Thanks for pointing that out! Curator: Precisely. Looking at the making, labor and distribution informs us much about what might otherwise remain unsaid.