Herre i kjolesæt 1897 - 1949

Curator: Robert Storm Petersen, sometimes known as Storm P., sketched this character sometime between 1897 and 1949. The artwork, done with pen on paper, is titled "Herre i kjolesæt", meaning "Gentleman in Evening Dress." Editor: It has such a melancholic air, even though the figure feels cartoonish! The stark black ink really weighs down the man’s posture. Curator: Note how Petersen uses line—thick strokes to define the figure’s coat, almost a shadow enveloping him. This exaggeration creates a caricatured, yet recognizable, archetype. Perhaps it critiques the performative aspects of social standing. Editor: Exactly! Look at the weight of the ink, pooling, suggesting hurried, even cheap materials—despite depicting someone aspiring to formality and refinement. The paper too seems utilitarian; almost scrap-like in its bareness. Curator: Petersen's works often utilized these contrasts. This drawing style resonates with traditions of visual satire; notice the almost comically exaggerated moustache. The way the hands are drawn – slightly skeletal – emphasizes a sense of unease. What cultural memory does it evoke? Is he a caricature of authority? Editor: The exaggerated, almost frantic lines outlining his face betray anxiety. While ostensibly depicting formality, the man looks burdened and perhaps ridiculous, making the supposed markers of social status—clothing and posture—into instruments of his anxiety. A poignant depiction, isn’t it? Curator: Indeed. Petersen distills not only an individual, but anxieties around aspiration and status in a quickly shifting social climate through a drawing like this. He manages to hint at cultural fault lines by subtly skewing what we recognize as formal or self-assured. Editor: For me, the quickness of the sketch is also relevant. A sense of immediacy and even social critique are there because of that quick execution that emphasizes its status as drawing over painting. It shows how artistic choices and the humbleness of the materials can add emotional resonance to a work of art.