Akantusblad 1845

Editor: Here we have Johan Thomas Lundbye’s "Akantusblad," a watercolor and drawing on paper from 1845. I'm struck by the almost ethereal quality of the leaf, the way it seems to float against the plain background, and by the very deliberate contour lines defining each section of it. What are your impressions when you look at this work? Curator: Indeed. My attention is drawn to the interplay of line and wash. Notice how the delicate watercolor conveys the subtle modulations of light across the leaf’s surface. The almost diagrammatic approach doesn't depict organic reality. Do you observe how each contour is precise? Lundbye employs a kind of formal taxonomy in capturing a leaf. It serves to underscore the intricate and inherent structures found within natural forms. Editor: Yes, I see that now. So, he’s less interested in naturalism and more interested in the… inherent structure? It's so precisely depicted that, as you mentioned, it almost feels like a study for a textbook. Curator: Precisely. In focusing on the abstract structure, we understand the aesthetic order he aims to present. See, form surpasses objective portrayal, becoming, in effect, the subject matter. I encourage you to analyze closely the relationship between his use of color and contour and ask, does this delineation give the leaf a quality that photography couldn't capture? Editor: Absolutely, the artist makes visible something that would remain invisible with photography alone. He guides us to truly *see*. It highlights elements a casual glance might miss. Curator: And do you then suppose that the very essence of Lundbye’s exploration may indeed reside in prompting exactly this kind of insightful visual experience for us, his viewers? Editor: I think you're right! Thinking about this botanical drawing from the viewpoint of pure form has completely changed how I see Lundbye’s artistic choices and intention in this piece. Curator: And for me, reconsidering fundamental shapes that exist inside of something ostensibly alive, pushes our comprehension further to the unseen core beneath its life.