Fortegnelse over nogle af Joakim Skovgaards malerier med deres respektive ejere før 1908 1905 - 1907

This is a page from a notebook made by Niels Larsen Stevns, probably sometime before 1908. The list enumerates some of Joakim Skovgaard's paintings along with their owners. Just imagine Larsen Stevns with his pen, carefully recording details about Skovgaard's works and who possessed them! I wonder what it was like for him, tracking the journeys of these paintings out into the world. It reminds me how paintings have lives of their own, circulating, influencing, and connecting people. I imagine Larsen Stevns pondering the act of creation, where an artwork begins with the artist but then takes on new meanings through its interactions with viewers and collectors. The material itself—the ink bleeding slightly into the paper—adds to that history. It’s light, thin, and portable, which makes me think of the ease with which ideas are shared between artists, inspiring one another to create and dream. It’s a reminder that artists are always in conversation, building upon the legacies of those who came before them, and that painting is always a site of ongoing inquiry.