Studier af rustninger 1914 - 1918

Editor: This is "Studies of Armour" by Peter Hansen, sometime between 1914 and 1918. It looks like a watercolour and drawing combination, held at the SMK in Copenhagen. There’s something quite vulnerable about these sketches, even though armour is meant to protect. What do you see in this work, that stands out to you? Curator: What strikes me is how Hansen, using these traditionally 'lower' mediums of watercolour and drawing, elevates the object. We often see armour fetishized, celebrated for its craftsmanship within elite circles. Here, the focus seems to be on the labour embedded within. Consider the historical context - the beginning of total war – juxtaposed against traditional martial prowess. Editor: So you’re saying the artist isn't focused on the romance of the armour? Curator: Exactly. He detaches it from the narrative of heroic battle. Think about the mines providing the metal, the foundries, the repetitive work of assembly, and even the tailoring of the undergarments - a vast, complex system of labour condensed into this single suit. Does the application of watercolour on paper, itself a manufactured item, suggest a fragility that comments on industrialization, or even mortality? Editor: It's interesting that he chose to show the back view, too, focusing on construction more than presentation. Like, how it was assembled and worn? Curator: Precisely. The materials, the process...everything speaks to production and, potentially, the coming obsolescence of this kind of armour in the face of industrialized warfare. The very act of drawing, a form of labor, is highlighting the materiality and work that went into it's making. Editor: I’d never considered armour this way. Thanks, that definitely reframes it. Curator: Indeed, focusing on material and method provides new perspectives on even familiar objects.