Notater 1913 - 1914

This page of notations was made by J.A. Jerichau, sometime around the turn of the 20th century. The main materials at play are paper, likely manufactured on an industrial scale, and ink – the means by which Jerichau recorded his thoughts. The writing, a dense field of words, is punctuated by graphic elements: a dark lozenge, a heraldic crest, an odd doodle at the bottom. Consider the time and labor involved in producing this page. It speaks to the embodied work of the hand, of course, but also to a certain state of mind – caught up in obsessive thought. The artist is trying to make sense of the world, and leaving a trace of his attempt on the page. What kind of person keeps a notebook? What kind of mind lingers over details, recording them for posterity? This is an intimate glimpse into a creative process. It’s a reminder that all art is, in the end, the product of human effort.