Uddrag af Knytlingesagaen om Knud den helliges udsendinge til Vendsyssel 1932 - 1935

Curator: My initial impression is one of hushed intensity, a focus on script, on storytelling in its most direct, almost austere form. Editor: We’re looking at "Uddrag af Knytlingesagaen om Knud den helliges udsendinge til Vendsyssel," a drawing in ink on paper made between 1932 and 1935 by Niels Larsen Stevns. It is currently part of the collection at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Curator: Yes, the drawing embodies narrative art through the spartan and repetitive use of ink. Note the starkness of the mark-making; see how the pressure seems to echo, quite visually, the act of inscription. It suggests weight. Editor: Stevns draws on medieval history; the text, presumably, directly references sagas centered on King Canute, who was murdered in 1086. We get, I think, the sense of an artist deeply engaged in interpreting national history and folklore. Consider the social value in depicting tales of Danish origin during the 1930's. Curator: True, and yet it's interesting how Stevns approaches that narrative through texture. The almost palimpsestic layers create their own temporality on the page, and that brings to the work not simply an echo of events long ago but, specifically, of the telling of the events, again and again. Note the repetitive layering and the rough edges. The effect almost suggests he created his own manuscript and made its materials as expressive as its subject matter. Editor: The physicality really stands out. Stevns creates a striking, tangible reminder that every artwork participates in constructing cultural memory. His use of the page gives material expression to complex social and historical processes. It asks how museums shape understandings of nationhood and shared heritage through visual representation. Curator: This work brings the focus back to basic elements. It asks: how do those elements, through formal presentation, build up stories over time, making not just artworks, but also shaping how audiences recall shared experiences? Editor: Precisely, it offers a powerful reflection on historical awareness and national mythologies.