Norway and Denmark 1866

Curator: Here we have a personal sketchbook entitled "Norway and Denmark" created by Charles George Lewis, in 1866. The book is now housed here at the Art Institute of Chicago. It appears to be crafted with graphite as its primary medium, combining drawing and printmaking techniques. Editor: My first thought: intimate! You can practically feel the artist’s hand caressing the well-worn cover. The aged leather and handwritten label… It's more than just an object; it's a silent witness to a journey, don’t you think? Curator: Indeed. This isn't merely a repository for images, but a tangible artifact of Lewis’ travels. The materials themselves – the graphite, the paper, the bookbinding – speak to specific craft practices. Were these materials readily available? Were they expensive? His choice of such portable materials directly facilitates artistic creation *en plein air*. Editor: And the fact it's a sketchbook lends it such immediacy. No grand statements here, just glimpses, fragments of observation, distilled into graphite. It sparks a longing for that simpler, slower pace. Imagine the artist pausing in a field, quickly capturing a scene. It's a visual diary, not necessarily intended for public display. Curator: Precisely! And think about the implications of printmaking intersecting with drawing in a portable format like this. Lewis may have used certain prints as preliminary sketches, then expanded upon them with graphite. It highlights the accessibility and dissemination of imagery during that period. These sketches were tools of visual communication and knowledge sharing. Editor: Yes, it’s an invitation to contemplate not just what he drew, but why, and how the very act of drawing shaped his understanding of the world around him. There is an unmistakable and enchanting energy emanating from this small, personal tome. Curator: I agree wholeheartedly, and in this work, the context of materials and production meets the immediate, intimate response that speaks across time. This sketchbook is a prime case study that enriches not just art historical but social history inquiries as well. Editor: So true. “Norway and Denmark” reminds me to seek beauty in the everyday and the journey is, as they say, the destination!