Studie af Egebjerg-krucifixet 1919

Niels Larsen Stevns made this study of a crucifix with ink on paper. Look at the marks he made! You can almost see his hand moving across the page, following the curves and angles of the sculpture. I wonder what it was like for Stevns to stand in front of the Egebjerg crucifix, trying to capture its essence with just a few lines. Did he feel a sense of reverence, or was he simply interested in the challenge of representing a three-dimensional object on a flat surface? Notice how the ink is darker and thicker in some areas, creating a sense of depth and shadow. And then, in other places, the lines are thin and scratchy, almost like he was hesitant to commit to a particular form. It reminds me that drawing is a way of thinking. It’s like artists through time are in this ongoing conversation, borrowing and riffing off each other's ideas. They're inspiring each other’s creativity, and inviting us to join in, too. Painting embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, leaving space for endless ways of seeing.