Skystudier 1900 - 1904

Niels Larsen Stevns made this drawing, Skystudier, with graphite on paper. The image shows a preoccupation with natural phenomena that connects it to wider trends in nineteenth-century art. Made in Denmark, the work suggests the importance of landscape to a nation’s sense of itself. Artists turn to the land to define the identity of a people. Here, the open, unbounded nature of the scene perhaps reflects a progressive desire to escape from traditional social hierarchies. The drawing represents a break with the Academy. Instead of the carefully finished picture, we see the immediacy of the artist’s encounter with his subject. He observes, sketches, and notes. He seems to be teaching himself how to see. To understand Stevns, we might look at his place in the history of Danish art, as well as the social role played by landscape painting in the making of national identity. We might also consider the institutions through which artists are trained.