Ornamentstudier med farveangivelser. Herunder udvisket motiv 1900 - 1904

This sketchbook page of ornament studies with colour indications was produced by Niels Larsen Stevns in Denmark at an unknown date. We see a series of decorative motifs, each carefully sketched and annotated with colour notes in Danish. The act of studying and documenting ornament was part of a broader cultural movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, driven by a desire to revive traditional crafts and elevate the status of decorative arts. Museums and art schools played a vital role, offering classes in drawing and design that emphasized the importance of ornament. These institutions helped to shape public taste and promote a particular vision of national identity rooted in historical forms. Stevns's sketch prompts us to consider the social function of art education and the role of the artist as both a creator and a student of cultural heritage. To understand the context fully, one might research the curriculum of Danish art schools at the time, exploring the influence of movements like National Romanticism on artistic training and production.