Skitser af figurer og dyr 1906

Niels Larsen Stevns made these sketches of figures and animals with pencil, likely in a small notebook. Looking at these raw lines, they feel so process-driven, like a stream-of-consciousness dance between eye, hand, and subject. The texture of the paper is super present, you can see the grid coming through. But then there are the marks themselves – some are tentative, almost disappearing, while others are bold, and deeply etched. Notice the density of the marks in the figures doing handstands, and the way the lines almost vibrate with energy. Stevns doesn't seem too concerned with neatness; he is embracing the messiness of the creative act, which reminds me of Cy Twombly. Like Twombly, he is less interested in fixed forms than in the dynamic possibilities of art-making. It's all about the journey of seeing and drawing, rather than the destination of a finished piece.