Kompositionsudkast til billede i flere fag 1896 - 1897

Curator: This intriguing pencil sketch before us is entitled "Kompositionsudkast til billede i flere fag," dating back to 1896-1897, from the hand of Agnes Slott-Møller. It's currently held at the SMK, the Statens Museum for Kunst. My initial impression is the ordered layout coupled with the unfinished quality—a fascinating juxtaposition! Editor: It feels incredibly architectural, like looking at blueprints before construction. There’s something sterile and almost dehumanizing about these neat, precise shapes repeated on the page. Were these sketches part of a larger social or political project, do you think? Were they designs for some institutional building? Curator: That’s an astute observation! Slott-Møller, although known primarily as a painter, seemed deeply engaged with craftsmanship, evident in her textile designs and even embroidery. These sketches, made on paper, demonstrate a material investigation, a kind of diagramming. Considering the social context, the late 19th century witnessed a flourishing of arts and crafts movements. Editor: So the means of production were paramount! This was about process as much as the final form? Curator: Precisely. There’s a focus on the structural elements, repeated patterns, and even geometric explorations. The means – pencil, paper, her hand -- are showcased; the method on full display! Notice how each structure plays with light and space, particularly around the arched openings. One might consider how these arches themselves act as framing devices, setting up an implicit commentary on ways of seeing. Editor: Which circles back to social function again, doesn't it? Beyond simply 'seeing,' we need to ask *who* gets to see, and from what position? The arches are exclusionary by definition—creating thresholds, determining passage, creating limits for who might enter and who might remain outside. How does that restriction shape the observer’s experience of the world? Curator: Absolutely! The building and the visual experience are inextricably intertwined with social stratification. And yet, there is one exception that defies rigid structure, on the lower left, a small, lightly drawn heart. It challenges our notion of Slott-Møller as a solely analytical figure, reminding us of the complex interaction between personal expression and larger social forces at play within her art. Editor: True, that little heart definitely softens the impact. It serves as an intimate, almost vulnerable addition to the collection of sketches. It makes the larger structures seem less immutable, suggesting an openness to change or reconsideration of intent, something that moves beyond cold hard building constraints. It seems to allow vulnerability back in. Curator: A powerful reading. Slott-Møller was clearly thinking through complex relationships through material explorations, blending geometric structure and possibly even social commentary into her craft. Editor: Yes. The social and political context gives this unassuming drawing more relevance. Thanks for offering that frame.