Skitser af planter og anden ornamentik 1906

These pages from a sketchbook by Niels Larsen Stevns capture a moment of observation and reflection. Here's a flower, captured with a vivid splash of yellow paint, sitting on a loosely painted green background. Then, the artist switches gear, moving towards linear precision, sketching out forms, maybe architectural details or abstract shapes. I can imagine Stevns here, almost thinking aloud with his pencil, exploring different ways of seeing and representing the world around him. Looking at this page, I feel the artist's curiosity, the open-endedness of his process, and the way sketches allowed him to think through form and space. It's like looking over the shoulder of someone deep in thought, and as a painter myself, it's a place I know well. I find a lot of inspiration seeing the artist's hand at work.