Vers. Side 39 1840 - 1844

Curator: This page, "Vers. Side 39," comes from Johan Thomas Lundbye's sketchbook, dating back to 1840-1844. It combines ink calligraphy on paper, potentially using textile remnants as binding, held in the collection of the SMK. Editor: It's fascinating seeing handwriting elevated almost to the level of art. What can you tell us about this particular page? Curator: The physical making is central. Lundbye's selection of materials – paper, ink, thread – reveals the resources available to him and the value he placed on documenting his thoughts. The act of writing itself, the repetitive hand motions in forming each letter, highlights labor. Have you thought about how the availability of these materials shaped artistic production? Editor: Not really, no. I usually think more about what the artist is trying to say... Curator: I propose something new: imagine where Lundbye found this paper, consider the source of his ink, and reflect on the societal worth assigned to written versus oral communication. The poem, in this case, intertwines material reality with artistic aspiration. We may also consider who was taught and allowed to write at the time and who was prevented access from such forms of symbolic expression. Editor: I never thought about the impact the materials have on our reading of the artwork itself. Curator: Looking closely at the ink, paper and binding threads encourages us to move beyond thinking about art only as aesthetics or individual expression and toward understanding its means of production within a broader societal context. Does understanding the “stuff” help us grasp a different truth? Editor: Definitely. Seeing art through this material lens brings attention to the world that produces both the object and our understanding of it. Thanks for the insight!