To kompositionsudkast til maleriet "Kristus skriver i sandet", 1908 1906 - 1907

Niels Larsen Stevns made these compositional sketches for his painting "Christ Writing in the Sand" in 1908 using graphite on paper. I love that we can see right into his process here. I imagine Stevns standing before his easel, charcoal in hand, thinking through the challenge of staging this biblical scene. You can see the grid beneath the sketches – he’s mapping out the underlying structure, figuring out where to place each figure to convey the emotional weight of the story. Look how the figures are bent, almost broken, with shame. The bold strokes of graphite create a sense of urgency, as if he’s trying to capture a fleeting moment of inspiration before it disappears. There is a rhythm across the page, a dance of dark and light, that invites you to contemplate the deeper meaning of redemption and forgiveness. It reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz's drawings, where every line conveys a sense of human struggle. Artists are always wrestling with these big themes. What do you think Stevns is trying to say about humanity in this piece?