Bølgestudie (?) 1864 - 1941

Editor: Here we have Niels Larsen Stevns's "Bølgestudie (?)," made sometime between 1864 and 1941. It’s a pencil and graphite drawing on paper. My first impression is a flurry of energy, a real sense of movement. It reminds me a bit of musical notations. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Ah, yes! Movement, scribbled energy… It’s funny you mention music. I see this less as a direct depiction of waves and more as a record of the *feeling* of waves. Stevns isn't necessarily trying to give us photorealistic waves; instead, it feels like a fleeting, impressionistic response. Do you ever feel like some moments can't be captured in perfect detail, only in the echoes they leave behind? Editor: I think so, that makes sense! So, you’re saying it’s more about the sensation of the waves, rather than the literal waves themselves? It does look like he quickly jotted down some notes... I'm struck by the difference between the wilder, almost chaotic lines at the top compared to the calmer ones below. Curator: Exactly! It makes me wonder about the specific conditions in which he created this. Was the sea particularly rough that day? What was he feeling? Perhaps even thinking? And that contrast you pointed out – it adds depth, doesn’t it? Almost as if the 'wilder' lines are the wind crashing around our ears while the 'calmer' ones evoke the deeper currents and quiet swells underneath. Editor: I didn’t think about it like that, that is a lovely detail. Now, when I look at the 'wilder' lines at the top, it reminds me of birds in flight, perhaps sea gulls? Thank you for pointing it out; it completely reshaped my view of the sketch. Curator: My pleasure! Sometimes art just needs a little nudge to spark a new thought, don't you think?