Afskrift fra Blichers novelle "Vinhandleren og Herremanden", p. 198 l.6-16, p. 202 l. 38-40, p. 203 l. 1 1932 - 1935

Curator: Good morning. Editor: Here we have Niels Larsen Stevns's "Afskrift fra Blichers novelle...", a drawing in ink on paper, created between 1932 and 1935. It's fascinating how a page of text transforms into a visual artwork. I’m struck by the texture created by the handwriting, the dense strokes of ink almost obscuring the source material. How do you approach something so inherently linguistic as a formalist? Curator: Indeed, it presents an intriguing challenge. My initial focus rests not on the text's meaning per se, but on its presence as line, form, and tone. Observe how the density of the script varies across the page, creating areas of light and dark. Consider these as compositional elements, akin to brushstrokes in a painting. The artist is, after all, consciously choosing how to distribute visual weight. Editor: So, it’s less about reading the text and more about perceiving the overall texture and form? Curator: Precisely. Think of calligraphy – where the aesthetic quality of the script outweighs its literal interpretation. Stevns plays with this tension. We can consider the horizontal lines of the ruled paper in contrast to the free-flowing nature of the artist's own handwritten mark making. Do you notice the small, gestural markings that exist at the beginning of some of the text lines, like punctuation marks of a sort? Editor: Yes, almost like little bursts of energy alongside the otherwise ordered text. Curator: Yes, their repetition generates movement and disrupts the rigidity of the grid. Furthermore, what impression does this supposed "hasty" style give? Is there an intentional creation of a non-perfect look, despite obvious technical prowess? Editor: I see it now. It is less about what it *says* and more about how it *exists* as a visual composition of the graphic elements present in the piece. It definitely shifts my perspective on textual artworks. Curator: It provides much insight into an underappreciated genre.