Blomsterstudier 1937 - 1938

Niels Larsen Stevns rendered these 'Blomsterstudier' as sketches, capturing the essence of lilies with ink on paper. The lily, with its trumpet-like bloom, has long been a symbol of purity and renewal, often linked to the Virgin Mary in Christian iconography, yet also associated with funerary rites in other contexts. Consider how the lily's symbolism echoes through time, from ancient Minoan frescoes to Victorian mourning jewelry. The gesture of offering lilies, prominently featured, becomes laden with complex emotions – love, reverence, grief. This duality captures a powerful emotional state, tapping into our collective memory of life's cyclical nature. The lily re-emerges in modern art, perhaps stripped of explicit religious meaning yet still resonating with its subliminal associations of transience and beauty. Its undulating form, immortalized in art across centuries, continues to engage viewers, connecting us to the archetypal rhythms of existence.