Blank 1930 - 1936

This small sketch on paper by Niels Larsen Stevns is like a whisper of an image, made with pale blue lines. It makes me think about the very beginning of a painting, the initial idea barely visible, a ghost of what might come. I imagine Stevns with his sketchbook, quickly trying to capture a fleeting thought. Maybe he was grappling with a bigger idea, and this was his way of mapping it out. The lines are tentative, searching. There’s a sense of vulnerability in the lightness of touch, as if he’s not quite sure what he’s looking for yet. It reminds me of my own process, the way I often start with faint marks, building up layers, changing my mind, embracing the accidental. This sketch feels like a moment of pure potential, a reminder that every great painting starts with a simple, uncertain beginning. It’s a beautiful invitation to look closer, to imagine the possibilities, and to appreciate the quiet beauty of a work in progress.