Blomsterskitser samt notater, blandt andet målangivelser til alteret i Egebjerg kirke 1919

Editor: This sketchbook page, "Blomsterskitser samt notater," dated 1919 by Niels Larsen Stevns, caught my eye. It's a drawing in pencil and coloured pencil on paper, and I'm immediately drawn to its ephemeral, almost ghostly quality. There are these flower sketches juxtaposed with what look like notes and calculations. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Looking at this page, I'm most interested in the labor implied. This isn't just a spontaneous drawing, but seems part of a larger production process – preparations for the Egebjerg church alter. Note the precision in the artist's annotations combined with these preliminary floral sketches. These botanical sketches also indicate Niels’ familiarity with the land and farming. Editor: So you're saying this page provides insight into the artist's entire process, almost like a record of labor? The combination of floral drawings and textual calculations is what gives it special value. Curator: Precisely. The paper, the pencils – all these materials speak to a specific means of artistic production embedded within the socio-economic context of church commission and perhaps even larger cycles of seasonal production for rural farmers. The notes suggest calculations – possibly a budget, or maybe detailing expenses – and really draw attention to art making and production! How are we implicated by this? Editor: I guess it makes me consider all the unseen steps in creating even a seemingly simple work of art. I'm definitely seeing how focusing on the materiality changes the way you see a work. Curator: Exactly! And what those processes might tell us about society and Niels Larson Stevns work within it. We’ve gained some unique insights together today!