Figurkomposition - udkast til relief om forskellige håndværk? 1932 - 1935

Niels Larsen Stevns made this pen and ink drawing, titled "Figurkomposition," as a study for a relief. I love seeing an artist's process! The composition is divided in two, with figures on the left and dense abstract shapes on the right. The figures look a bit like they're caught mid-action, maybe dancing or working. The lines are loose and energetic, giving the sense of capturing a fleeting moment. I wonder what Stevns was thinking about as he was making this? Did he have the finished relief clearly in his mind, or was he letting the drawing guide him? It feels like he's exploring different possibilities, letting one idea flow into the next. There is an interesting contrast in the line work. The left has a more delicate and illustrative quality and the right has an abstract and geometric quality. Painters are always looking at each other, borrowing and building on ideas. I like to think that Niels is a part of that ongoing conversation.