Studier af duer 1864 - 1941

Here we have Niels Larsen Stevns' "Studier af duer," or "Studies of Pigeons," a drawing, probably in pencil, on paper. It's from a sketchbook, and it’s all about the process. The marks are tentative, searching. You can feel the artist feeling his way around the form of the birds, trying to capture their essence with a minimum of fuss. It’s not about perfection, it’s about exploration. There is a raw, immediate quality to it that I find really appealing. The texture of the paper peeks through, adding to the sense of immediacy. Look at the bottom most pigeon, that has lines radiating from the base almost like feathers, but also like the energetic, kinetic possibilities inherent in drawing. It reminds me a little of Picasso’s quick animal sketches, all economical lines and playful energy. It feels more like a conversation than a pronouncement. And that’s what art should be, right? An ongoing, open-ended exchange.