Skitser af figurer og medaljoner 1900 - 1905

This sketchbook page of figure studies and medallions was created by Niels Larsen Stevns at an unknown date. It is now held at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark. The images are sketches of an allegorical nature and include floating figures and classical motifs. Stevns came of age at a time when artists were exploring national and folk identities, which were often expressed through symbolism. As Denmark navigated its place in a changing Europe, artists helped forge these identities and sometimes challenged existing social norms. The presence of this sketch in the Statens Museum for Kunst tells an institutional story about the development of artistic practices and the professionalisation of the artist. What was deemed worthy of preservation? What role was the museum playing in the creation of a national art history? These are the questions that interest the historian. By looking at the archives, we can learn more about the social and institutional forces that shaped Stevns' art and its cultural significance.