Udkast til "Kristus helbreder en spedalsk" 1937 - 1938

Niels Larsen Stevns made this little ink drawing, called "Draft for 'Christ Healing a Leper'" sometime in his life, we don't know exactly when. The quick, gestural marks here, they show you how he's thinking through the composition, trying to figure out the weight of the figures, their placement. It's like he's feeling his way around the scene, and you get to witness that searching process. Look at the way he renders the trees. They’re just these confident vertical lines, suggesting depth and shadow. It feels almost performative, like he's not just drawing trees, but showing you how to draw a tree. Stevns reminds me of Emil Nolde, both in his religious subject matter, and the emotional intensity of his mark making. But where Nolde is almost violently expressive, Stevns has a quiet, gentle touch. Ultimately, the piece remains open, inviting you to bring your own experiences to it.