Landskabsskitse. Plantestudie. Farveangivelser 1930 - 1936

Editor: Here we have "Landskabsskitse. Plantestudie. Farveangivelser," a landscape sketch and plant study with color indications by Niels Larsen Stevns, created between 1930 and 1936, using pencil and pastel. The immediacy of it strikes me; it feels like looking over the artist's shoulder as they capture a fleeting moment. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a deep engagement with the *making* of landscape, not just its representation. Note the pencil on lined paper – the ready-made support. Stevns isn't striving for illusionism; instead, the visible lines emphasize the flatness and the *process* of building form. And observe the added color notations - these annotations almost treat color like another material element, separated from the actual application of pigment. Editor: So, you’re saying the materials themselves are almost the subject, not just a means to an end? Curator: Precisely. Consider the socio-economic context. Paper, pencils, pastels – these were relatively accessible materials. Stevns's choice could be seen as a deliberate democratization of artmaking, removing it from the preciousness of oil paint and canvas that are associated with higher status art forms.. How does that interpretation resonate with you? Editor: It’s interesting. I hadn't considered the economic accessibility of the materials and how that informs the meaning. I was more focused on the seemingly unfinished aesthetic. Curator: "Unfinished" only in a traditional sense. Think about it instead as exposing the labor of artistic production. By leaving the underdrawing and color notes visible, Stevns reveals the steps of his process, challenging traditional notions of artistic skill being hidden. Editor: So instead of hiding the process, he puts it on display? That completely changes how I view the drawing. Curator: Indeed. We've moved away from an appreciation based purely on skillful representation toward understanding how Stevns actively constructs and deconstructs artistic conventions through accessible materials and transparent process. Editor: I'll definitely look at sketches differently now! Considering the materials and production process provides a whole new level of appreciation.