Perspektivisk konstruktionstegning 1906

This perspective construction drawing was made by Niels Larsen Stevns, using graphite on graph paper. These are humble materials, readily available – the kind of thing you might find in any architect's or engineer's office. The graph paper provides a pre-existing structure, a grid upon which Stevns could build his perspectival scheme. It’s a technology of rationalization, and by using it, Stevns aligns himself with the world of industry and standardized production. The stark lines and geometric shapes suggest a world where the hand is guided by reason. Yet, the graphite lines, though precise, retain a human quality. You can sense the artist's hand moving across the page, adjusting, correcting, and refining the forms. In a way, the drawing embodies a tension between the mechanical and the manual, between the industrial and the artistic. It is a reminder that even in the most rationalized systems, the human element persists, subtly shaping the world around us.