Studier af ørn og høne 1864 - 1941

Niels Larsen Stevns made this sketchbook drawing of an eagle and hen sometime in his life. It's a light, exploratory kind of drawing, where you can see the artist thinking through the forms. The eagle's wing really grabs my attention. The feathers are rendered with such careful, almost obsessive detail, especially compared to the hen which is barely present. I love the way the lines vary in pressure, creating a sense of depth and texture. You can almost feel the weight of the bird, poised for flight. There's something about the incompleteness of the sketch that I find really appealing. It reminds me that art is a process, a way of seeing and understanding the world, and maybe Stevns found the eagle a more compelling subject than the hen, who knows? I think of Leonardo's animal studies, where the same kind of curiosity is on display, a willingness to embrace the unknown and to let the process of drawing lead you to new discoveries.