Landskabsstudier 1930 - 1936

Curator: At first glance, the tangled lines evoke a landscape in turmoil, perhaps mirroring some internal state. What’s your take? Editor: This is "Landskabsstudier," or "Landscape Studies," by Niels Larsen Stevns, rendered in pencil sometime between 1930 and 1936. It's currently held at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Its creation during the interwar period perhaps carries a certain unease stemming from broader societal anxieties? Curator: Indeed, one could read that anxiety into the frantic, almost chaotic pencil strokes. The line work is particularly interesting—how it coalesces in certain areas to define forms, but then dissipates into near abstraction elsewhere. Editor: Right, and while seemingly a preliminary study, there's the tension between objective representation of nature, typical of landscape painting, and this quite subjective interpretation through abstracted lines. It also makes me think about his patrons—or lack thereof during those years— and the social function for studies like this. Was it a private outlet? Preparation for something larger? Curator: Those rhythmic clusters of marks, mimicking clouds or foliage, generate dynamism—while maintaining compositional harmony across the picture plane, wouldn't you say? See, the overall value structure of the piece brings about the sense of tonal unity within that seemingly disjointed linework. Editor: I agree. Though “harmony” might be a strong word; it's a somewhat unstable harmony, perhaps reflective of the interwar period’s societal anxieties creeping into even these ‘studies’. There’s the weight of institutional art histories looming over all production in times of cultural and social shift. Curator: Ultimately, what resonates most strongly with me is its sheer economy of means. With nothing more than a pencil and paper, Stevns manages to convey a visceral impression of nature. Editor: For me, it raises questions about the public and private faces of artistic practice, especially amidst global shifts. Thanks for shedding light on these intrinsic values within “Landskabsstudier”. Curator: And thank you for framing it within broader historical currents. A welcome dialogue indeed.