Studier af to af løvekvadrene fra Øster Starup kirke 1900 - 1904

Niels Larsen Stevns made this drawing of lions, probably in a sketchbook, at some point between 1864 and 1941. It’s very light and sketchy, and you can really see how he’s trying to figure out the forms. The lions are based on carvings in a church—so already a copy of something! I can imagine Stevns sitting in the church, trying to understand what someone else made. Maybe he was thinking about how to translate the carvings into his own work? When I look at a drawing like this, I think about all the other artists who have sat and looked and tried to copy. It’s like a long chain of seeing, understanding, and making. I especially love the way the lines are so tentative, like he’s not quite sure where they should go. It makes the drawing feel alive and full of potential. The lines dance across the surface, creating a sense of movement and energy. Artists are always in conversation, aren’t they?