Regnskab 1846 1846 - 1848

This is a page from Martinus Rørbye's account book from 1846, currently held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. Rørbye was a Danish painter associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting, a period marked by a burgeoning national identity and artistic exploration. More than a mere ledger, this notebook offers an intimate glimpse into Rørbye's daily life and social sphere. We see detailed records of transactions, likely related to his household or artistic practice. The careful script suggests a life steeped in the values of precision and order, typical of the bourgeois society of his time. What strikes me is how these mundane details—payments for everyday items and services—reveal the artist's position within a complex web of social relations. It makes me think about the emotional weight of money, its role in defining status and shaping individual experience. In a world that was rapidly changing, where does an artist fit in? Was Rørbye making alternative narratives?