Skitser af figur og ornament 1906

Here we have a page from Niels Larsen Stevns’ sketchpad, just some graphite and watercolor on paper. It feels like a very personal moment with the artist, seeing these intimate sketches on this little square grid. There's this incredible flower form, kind of floating at the top, rendered in a loose, washy green that bleeds out at the edges. The whole sketchbook feels so immediate. The graphite lines describing a figure are quick, almost like a shorthand, giving you just enough information. I love the way the artist lets the lines trail off, trusting the viewer to complete the forms in their own mind. Think of Cy Twombly, who also left everything up to the viewer! It’s a dance between what’s there and what’s implied. There's a kind of openness that invites you into the artist’s thought process. It's not about perfection, but about exploration and the pure joy of mark-making.