Tekst skrevet af Karl Madsen (?). Side 123 1895 - 1938

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by how intimate this feels—like sneaking a peek into someone's private thoughts. There's something incredibly human and fragile about handwriting, especially across such a span of time. Editor: Indeed. Here we have “Tekst skrevet af Karl Madsen (?). Side 123” which translates to “Text written by Karl Madsen (?). Page 123". The work, housed here at the SMK, dates sometime between 1895 and 1938. We believe the artist to be Johan Thomas Lundbye. It’s rendered in ink on paper, likely a page from a sketchbook or journal, judging by the textile on its spine. Curator: Yes, a private peek seems right. I can almost smell the aged paper, imagine the scratching of the nib as Madsen, perhaps, was drafting these words. Does the text itself offer any clues as to the writer's intention, beyond speculation? Editor: What catches my attention is that this piece resides in a public institution. Originally, it would have represented something intimate—perhaps even subversive. Now, recontextualized within the museum, it prompts conversations about public versus private, what's revealed versus concealed, and the power dynamics at play. What secrets might it hold? Curator: Absolutely. I wonder about the content; even the little I can make out in the scan— fragments about longing, about perhaps…love?—hint at untold stories. Maybe that's where its magic lies. The very opacity is an invitation, perhaps a dare to engage and make it our own. It is us gazing at him while he gazes at his text. Editor: Agreed, we as viewers impose meaning and narrative onto fragments we might otherwise dismiss as scribbles from the past. In doing so, we reveal not only how people engaged in creative activity a century ago, but also highlight the social circumstances of the person and the period they occupied. We breathe fresh air onto pages forgotten and now, thanks to being shown in this space, hopefully they become texts loved by many new hearts. Curator: Beautifully put! A page reborn, sparking conversations across time.