Udkast til bibelsk komposition. Den kongelige embedsmands søn, John. 4.50 1864 - 1941

Niels Larsen Stevns made this biblical composition sketch with graphite on paper. It’s a flurry of lines, really, a jumble of marks that slowly coalesce into figures, maybe even a crowd. I'm thinking about the way a sketch can be so incredibly intimate. Like, this wasn't meant for us, right? It's so raw and immediate. What was Stevns thinking as he was working? Was he wrestling with a concept, trying to work out the kinks of a bigger composition? And look at the rhythm of the lines, some so light they barely kiss the paper, others darker, more insistent. It's like he's mapping out not just the physical space, but some kind of emotional terrain. When I make paintings, I always go through a similar process of layering and refining, searching for the right balance, trying to capture something elusive. Every artist learns from those who came before, riffing on old ideas, twisting them into something new, something personal.