Selvportræt med fløjte 1925 - 1929

Curator: Here we have Edvard Weie’s “Self-Portrait with Flute,” created between 1925 and 1929. The artwork is a graphite drawing on paper, part of the collection here at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Editor: Well, my first thought is "fragile". There's a fleeting, almost ghostly quality to it. Like a memory struggling to surface. What do you make of it? Curator: The looseness is deliberate; Weie experienced a severe mental breakdown and spent many years in psychiatric institutions. The drawing reflects his fragmented state of mind and the struggle for self-representation amidst personal turmoil. Editor: That explains the starkness. It’s compelling how he captures such vulnerability with such simple lines. I find the way the flute is barely suggested quite poignant, a hint of the music that may or may not still be playing within him. Curator: Exactly. During the early 20th century, artistic expression among those institutionalized was often seen as therapeutic, even diagnostic. Presenting such works offered insights into states of mind often excluded or marginalized in cultural representations. Weie had been previously a vibrant part of the Danish art scene. Editor: So, the piece then takes on a powerful commentary. It's not just a self-portrait; it’s a portrait of an identity fractured by illness and societal response, viewed from within. The direct gaze has an almost unnerving quality. Curator: Indeed. Exhibiting this and other works created within such spaces is part of a broader movement to reassess and democratize the artistic canon, asking how we define skill, beauty, and the artist's role in representing different aspects of human experience. Editor: It certainly asks more than it answers. This has really opened my eyes – seeing the work, not just as art, but also as cultural reflection, as the echo of his story still reverberating. Curator: It speaks volumes, even in its apparent simplicity, a poignant look at identity.