Figur- og plantestudier 1906 - 1910

Niels Larsen Stevns made this study of figures and plants probably with graphite and maybe watercolor in preparation for a larger painting. I just love seeing the ghostly traces of the artist’s hand here, like a visual record of his thought process. You can imagine him quickly sketching out different ideas, searching for the right composition. It's like eavesdropping on an artist's inner monologue. I wonder, was he trying to capture a fleeting moment, or was he more interested in the formal relationships between the figures and plants? And look how lightly he's touched the page. It’s as if Stevns is inviting the viewer into a shared space of imagination. He is saying ‘Come on in, and let’s see what we can discover together.’ Of course, he was part of a much wider community of artists. He probably knew other artists and looked at their works. Thinking about the kind of conversations that painters have with each other.