Prøveblad. 12 hoveder 1834 - 1866

Curator: Here we have Niels Simonsen's "Prøveblad. 12 hoveder," dating from 1834 to 1866, held at the SMK. Editor: My first thought is it's a little chaotic, almost like a mood board for different character types. So many different faces and head coverings—all rendered in fine ink lines. Curator: It's indeed a fascinating study sheet, reflective of academic art practices of the time. Artists often created such sheets to practice rendering various facial types and expressions, useful for larger compositions. Consider the accessibility of this form through prints. Editor: Exactly. And the material economy is palpable. Ink, print – accessible, reproducible. This isn’t about singular artistic genius; it’s about skillful labor and the social role of making images available for study. I’m thinking about the production process and where the materials were sourced. Curator: The figures themselves draw upon a long visual tradition, echoing Renaissance and Baroque portraiture in their poses and attire. The way Simonsen portrays these figures tells us about the power structures and class consciousness in 19th-century society and perhaps artistic aspirations. Editor: Yes, the variety! The turbans especially catch my eye. What kind of cultural narratives are these costumes referencing, and how were they circulating at this time? I can't help but also think of it in terms of labor. Where were these textiles from? What did it mean for Simonsen to put them on paper through an ink drawing? Curator: And there are the more straightforward portrait types as well, representing bourgeois ideals. The artwork embodies an important artistic lineage as well as social observations. Editor: Ultimately, these head studies provide insights into Simonsen's labor. The material realities of ink and paper show how prints served the growth of the popular market during his time, giving us insight into material culture and the socio-political landscape. Curator: Absolutely, Niels Simonsen gives us insight into both. Editor: Well said, seeing the material details in art makes looking at an artist's world come alive.