Udkast til "Kristus velsigner de små børn" 1937 - 1938

Niels Larsen Stevns sketched this drawing, "Udkast til 'Kristus velsigner de små børn'," directly onto the paper with bold strokes. I love how each line feels both tentative and sure, capturing the essence of figures clustered together, maybe a mother holding her baby, others leaning in towards a central point. I imagine Stevns in his studio, quickly trying to capture a feeling, a composition, working through line and form alone. What was he thinking as he made this? The starkness of the lines, the way they define the figures with such minimal detail, is compelling. It's like he's not just drawing what he sees, but also trying to get at something deeper. The marks almost remind me of some of Guston's later work in their directness. Sketching is like a conversation with oneself, each mark building upon the last, striving for a moment of connection that resonates across time.