Modelstudie. Skitse til P. S. Christiansens gravmæle 1930 - 1936

Editor: We’re looking at "Modelstudie. Skitse til P. S. Christiansens gravm\u00e6le," a pencil drawing by Niels Larsen Stevns, likely created between 1930 and 1936. It’s housed here at the SMK. The quick lines give it a sense of motion, almost like the figure is about to shift. What strikes you about it? Curator: It’s the raw energy that captivates me, a sort of visual thinking aloud. I imagine Stevns grappling with form, searching for the right gesture to immortalize P.S. Christiansen. Have you ever sketched a person and felt you were capturing something beyond just their likeness? Editor: I think so. Like, trying to understand their spirit? Is that what Stevns might have been doing? Curator: Precisely! Stevns was deeply interested in capturing the essence of his subjects. This drawing feels like a private moment, witnessing an artist’s struggle and ultimate triumph. It reveals Stevns' pursuit of truth beyond mere physical representation, aiming for the spiritual core, in service of memorializing a person of worth. Editor: It’s amazing how much intention you can read from what looks like a preliminary sketch. Curator: Yes, even the simplest of lines, can reveal a depth of meaning when they come from a place of genuine searching. I believe this connects deeply to why we make, and appreciate art: the impulse to understand, and honor one another through symbolic means. Editor: I’ll never look at sketches the same way again. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. I hope it sparks curiosity in what lays beneath the surface in every artistic expression.