Studie af fontæne, samt notater 1902 - 1905

Niels Larsen Stevns made this study of a fountain, with notes, with pencil on paper. Right away, I'm drawn to the way the fountain is captured with these quick, searching lines, like a sculptor feeling out the form in space. It’s not just about representation, it’s about process. The surface is fascinating: it's a kind of collage, and you can see where bits of paper have been stuck together with tape. The linear quality in the fountain drawing is echoed in the sharp lines of these taped segments. Then there are the notes, like little whispers from the artist’s mind. The word, ‘DI’ stands out to me – is it day? The divine? This is such an intimate glimpse into the artist’s working methods and we might consider all these elements equal to the final drawing. This feels reminiscent of Cy Twombly's sketchbooks, where writing and drawing collide. You can see the traces of the hand, the hesitations, the corrections. It's a reminder that art is not about perfect renderings, but about exploration and discovery.