Regnskab 1848 1848

Curator: The act of transcription itself holds value. Before photography and other mass means of reproduction, how was labor distributed in preserving the historical record? Editor: Right, here we have Martinus Rørbye’s "Regnskab 1848," a ledger created in 1848 using ink on paper. It's literally just handwriting – script, I guess? It almost looks like an illuminated manuscript, strangely. What stands out to you? Curator: Look at the meticulous formation of each character, the standardized column on the right, clearly tracking numeric values... This wasn't haphazard work. It’s record keeping, a form of labor intertwined with systems of commerce and governance. What labor and materiality produced this accounting document, who performed the physical writing of this work? Editor: I never really thought about that before! It kind of challenges this assumption I have of fine art always being displayed in gilded frames. The ink itself has value here; the paper and the writing implement were fabricated by human effort somewhere. Curator: And whose labour, and for whose purposes, do we see evidence of in these columns? Were such positions of maintaining the records open to all? It forces a look into societal context, questioning assumptions on accessibility. Editor: I think you’ve helped me recognize the significance of what may look commonplace – how labor, societal roles, and even the economy impact art-making in different eras. Thanks! Curator: And likewise, your observations encourage fresh appraisals for artworks commonly placed within certain established traditions of valuation.