Skitser af traner og heste 1900 - 1905

Niels Larsen Stevns made this sketch of cranes and horses with pencil on paper. It's like peeking into the artist's mind as he figures things out. Look at the various marks, almost like he's testing the waters, trying to capture the essence of these animals with a few quick strokes. The lines are so delicate and tentative, it reminds us that artmaking is a process, a constant back-and-forth between intention and accident. I love how the pencil glides over the surface, leaving these soft, almost ghostly traces. There is a real push and pull between observation and imagination in these sketches, which really chimes with the earlier work of someone like Delacroix, who combined classical themes with romantic energy. Ultimately, this sketch embraces ambiguity and multiple interpretations, it’s less about fixed meanings and more about the joy of seeing.