Studier af heste 1864 - 1941

Curator: Niels Larsen Stevns’ "Studier af heste," or "Studies of Horses," created sometime between 1864 and 1941, presents a fleeting glimpse into the artist’s observational process. Crafted in pencil on paper, it's part of the collection at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Editor: There's a raw, unfinished quality that I find compelling. The tentative lines and sketchy details evoke movement, but also a certain vulnerability. It's less about perfectly rendering a horse and more about capturing an essence. Curator: Indeed. The sketch highlights the essential formal elements: line, shape, and form. Note the economical use of line to define the contours of the horse's body. The hatched shading suggests volume, all within the confines of this humble sketchbook page. Editor: It makes me wonder about the context in which Stevns was working. Was this a study for a larger composition? Was he inspired by some specific breed of horse that was particularly prized or associated with a particular social class or activity? I want to know what stories these horses could tell. Curator: That is the core task of an historian, of course! But what is beautiful here is seeing past such inquiries. What matters most is how effectively Stevns utilized basic principles of design to evoke such a palpable sense of animal life. Editor: For me, its artlessness enhances its appeal. I feel drawn into the moment of creation. How ideas and observations transform via hand and medium. If the drawing had been overworked, this element would've surely been lost. This raw quality mirrors so much of his wider career. Curator: Perhaps a bit unfair, yet it does bring into perspective just how effectively Stevns manages to do so much, with so little, and so directly! Editor: The museum is fortunate to possess this small study—one more portal through which the public can engage with and gain insight into this formative, transitional era of painting.