Regnskab 1846 1846

This is Martinus Rørbye’s “Regnskab 1846”, or “Accounting 1846”, created on paper in 1846. Rørbye, a Danish Golden Age painter, lived in a time of national romanticism and burgeoning middle-class identity. At first glance, this piece seems like a simple ledger, yet it offers a glimpse into the artist's daily life and economic realities. The handwritten entries detail expenses, perhaps revealing his social interactions and material needs. In the 1840s, Denmark was undergoing significant social and economic changes. The detailed accounting invites us to consider the economic and social structures that underpinned artistic production and consumption. We can imagine Rørbye meticulously recording each transaction. What does it mean to see an artist's daily life reduced to columns of figures and items? The act of accounting becomes a form of self-portraiture. Through this mundane record, we gain a personal, almost intimate, connection to the artist and his world.