Skitser af ko 1900 - 1905

Here we have Niels Larsen Stevns’ sketch of a cow, rapidly drawn with graphite on paper. The ephemeral quality of the lines and shading seem to capture the essence of the cow rather than its exact appearance. I can see the artist’s hand moving quickly across the page, trying to capture something fleeting. The cow almost seems to materialize out of the white background like a ghost! The lightness of the drawing gives the cow a weightless, ethereal quality. I wonder if Niels was outside, sketching quickly in a field, or if he was trying to recall the image of the cow from memory. The economy of line reminds me of Matisse’s drawings - so simple, yet full of life! There’s something generous in the artist’s willingness to share his process with us, to let us see him thinking on paper. It’s like he’s inviting us to join in a game of seeing, to keep the conversation going, and to keep looking at cows, life, and art, in new ways.