Udkast til "Kristus velsigner de små børn" 1937 - 1938

Niels Larsen Stevns made this quick ink sketch, a draft for "Christ Blessing the Children," sometime in his career. It’s all about capturing the essence of movement and emotion with just a few lines, isn't it? I imagine Stevns with his sketchbook, rapidly jotting down figures, trying out different compositions. The cross-hatching gives the figures weight, but there is also a sense of light. The whole scene feels alive. You can feel the artist searching for the right way to convey the story. Are the diagonal marks a way of creating depth? I wonder if he was thinking about Rembrandt's etchings when he made this? This piece reminds us that even quick sketches can hold so much energy and intention. It's like glimpsing into the artist's thought process, seeing how an idea takes shape, and then influences future generations of artists.