Studier af ørn 1864 - 1941

Niels Larsen Stevns made these pencil Studies of Eagles sometime between 1864 and 1941. Here we see the artist working out the problems of representation, trying to capture the essence of the bird through studies of its form and physiognomy. In Northern European art of this period, the figure of the eagle carried symbolic weight. As a symbol of power, nobility, and freedom, the eagle was often invoked in heraldry, state emblems, and patriotic art. Stevns was working at a time when artists were trying to define the relationship between art and national identity. The study of eagles could be seen as part of a broader cultural project aimed at understanding Denmark's place in the world. By depicting the eagle, Stevns engages with a visual language that has deep roots in European history and political discourse. To understand this work more fully, we might research the political and cultural context of Denmark in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.