Skitser af køer 1905 - 1907

Editor: This is Niels Larsen Stevns' "Skitser af køer," or "Sketches of Cows," created between 1905 and 1907 with pencil on paper. It has a very ephemeral feeling, almost like capturing a fleeting thought. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, these seemingly simple sketches invite us to contemplate the symbolic weight we’ve historically placed on livestock. Cows, throughout different eras, represent not just sustenance, but also concepts like fertility, nurture, and even the pastoral idyll. Do these cows evoke any specific symbols or narratives for you? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it that way! I was mostly seeing simple farm animals, maybe even linked to the Danish landscape. Curator: Consider that. Landscape in art, especially during this period, often carries layers of cultural memory. Stevns, sketching these cows, taps into a long tradition linking the land to national identity, the rhythm of rural life, and a certain earthy authenticity. Even in their simplified form, these sketches resonate with these cultural undercurrents. Notice how the line is minimal but suggests a massive creature? What might the relationship between line, the suggestion of mass, and our associations with cows suggest? Editor: It makes me consider how much meaning we project onto even the simplest images, almost subconsciously. I never realized a sketch of a cow could be so complex. Curator: Precisely! Stevns gives us raw material for reflection, prompting us to think about the interplay between image, symbol, and cultural memory. This seemingly simple drawing ends up telling a much larger story. Editor: This makes me realize how much symbolism can be packed into a seemingly quick study.