Udkast til Poul S. Christiansens gravmæle, studier af gravmæler, måleangivelser 1932 - 1935

This is a page from Niels Larsen Stevns' sketchbook, featuring studies for Poul S. Christiansens' gravestone, rendered in pencil. Note how Stevns uses bold, decisive strokes to define the composition. The overall structure reveals a figure bent over a circular form, perhaps a wheel or wreath, set against a stark, undefined background. The tension between line and form suggests an exploration of symbolic language. We can interpret the wheel as an emblem of cyclical existence, while the bent figure possibly represents sorrow or labor. This deliberate ambiguity invites reflection on themes of mortality and remembrance, engaging with the structuralist notion that art communicates through a system of signs. Consider how the form and placement of the figure, combined with these symbolic elements, challenge conventional representations of grief. The sketch prompts us to reflect on the ways in which visual components encode deeper cultural and philosophical meanings, offering a site for ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.