Udkast til bibelsk komposition, Englen forkynder Jesu opstandelse for kvinderne 1864 - 1941

This small drawing, *Draft for a Biblical Composition*, was made by Niels Larsen Stevns sometime between 1864 and 1941, probably in a sketchbook. It's a jumble of marks, but out of the scribbles, the scene emerges: an angel announcing Christ's resurrection to the women. I can almost feel Stevns’ hand moving quickly, trying to capture the urgency of the moment. Those frantic lines, like anxious energy, build up the figures. You can sense the artist’s process, testing the composition, finding the right balance. The angel's form is more clearly defined, whereas the women are described with these wild strokes, like they are trembling. I see this as part of a long conversation painters have been having for centuries. Every mark, every choice, is a continuation of that conversation. I imagine Stevns looking at earlier depictions of the scene, maybe riffing off someone like Rembrandt, while also pushing towards his own vision. It’s the painter’s way—an ongoing experiment with what paint can do, with how to make the unseen, seen.