Ornamentstudier med farveangivelser 1906

This page of ornament studies, made by Niels Larsen Stevns, shows us the artist's beautiful, playful approach to design. With its grid background, the sketchbook page becomes a playground for pattern and color. Look at how the earthy reds and greens pop against the aged paper! Stevns wasn’t trying to hide the process. You can see the pencil marks, the color notes scribbled around the motifs. It’s like we’re right there with him, watching ideas take shape. The geometric patterns, the stylized floral elements—they all feel so carefully considered, yet also spontaneous. I’m drawn to the little diamond pattern, filled with a green so bright it almost vibrates. It’s a tiny detail, but it animates the whole page. It reminds me a little of Hilma af Klint’s notebooks, where she also used color and shape to explore hidden orders. Art isn’t about answers; it’s about this ongoing conversation.