Detalje af skulpturel detalje, domkirken, Lucca 1896

Niels Larsen Stevns made this sketch of sculptural details in Lucca Cathedral using graphite on paper. The drawing is most likely from the early twentieth century, a time when artists were trying to integrate a modern aesthetic with the art historical canon. Stevns's subject matter reflects the historicizing trends of the time, but as a sketch, it is a modern kind of artwork, one that shows the artist in the act of trying to understand the visual language of the past. Lucca Cathedral, a major cultural institution in Italy, is full of incredible sculptures that teach Christian stories. By focusing on the sculptural details rather than the bigger picture, Stevns prompts us to consider the smaller components of this culture. Looking at Stevns's sketch, we can think about what it means for an artist to engage with cultural heritage and how these historical sources are processed through the lens of a modern sensibility. To fully understand the art and culture of a particular time, we need to investigate its institutions and the economic, social, and political ideas that shape its artistic production.