"Romersk" prospekt 1730 - 1793

Jens Petersen Lund made this drawing, "Romersk" prospekt, in the 18th century using pen, ink, and wash on paper. The rough strokes of the pen define the forms, while the wash creates depth and shadow. Lund masterfully wielded these simple tools to create a scene, reminiscent of a faded memory. Paper, pen, and ink, all relatively inexpensive, were the everyday materials of the 18th-century artist. The drawing’s significance lies not only in its subject, perhaps a romanticized version of Rome, but also in its making. It shows the labor and skill required to transform ordinary materials into art. Lund engaged with a well-established tradition of landscape drawing, a practice intertwined with the emerging middle class and the rise of leisure. By focusing on the materials and the making, we can understand the artistic labor that often goes unnoticed. The "Romersk" prospekt invites us to reconsider the boundary between craft and fine art, reminding us that all art is, in essence, skillfully made.