Ornamentik, skitse af kors 1864 - 1941

This is a page from a sketchbook by Niels Larsen Stevns. Imagine him in his studio with his sketchbook, quickly and intuitively capturing an idea. There's something so intimate about sketchbooks. We get to see the artist's mind at work, the raw energy and the unedited thoughts. The page is covered in writing and gestural marks, doodles, and more structured geometric forms like the circles. The cross-hatching creates a sense of depth, a shadow maybe. It's like a visual language all its own. It's a bit like Cy Twombly’s scrawls, but with a purpose, grounded in Larsen Stevns’ study of ornament. I can imagine him flicking through other sketchbooks and the creative energy that comes from the cross-pollination of ideas between artists. Painting isn't just about the final product, it's about the whole messy, beautiful process of discovery. It’s about keeping the conversation alive.