Blank side 1845 - 1846

Curator: Today, we’re looking at "Blank side," a work on paper featuring ink, created between 1845 and 1846 by Johan Thomas Lundbye. It's currently housed at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: My first impression? It feels incredibly intimate, like glimpsing a private moment or thought. The tight script hints at a personal reflection rather than something intended for the public eye. Curator: Indeed. Lundbye was a Romantic artist, and journals were a crucial medium for him and many others of the time to record their observations of nature and the self. Here, ink meticulously documents experiences with both immediacy and reflection. Editor: Exactly. Think of the laborious process of hand-writing every word. There’s no erasing, no quick edits, only the constant flow of ink onto the page. This makes us keenly aware of the materiality of writing, the social act and private moments that exist. Curator: We can look deeper, though, to recognize that the style, reminiscent of Romanticism, suggests it is both observation and imagination at play here. These are not merely neutral documents; rather the writings hold an intention to explore the emotional resonance of the external and inner landscapes. Editor: I agree that such hand-written records have a strong connection to emotions. The very act of transcription is more emotionally connected, by proxy of materiality and action. Also the journal page layout here creates a fascinating visual texture of lines, shapes, and contrast, that becomes meaningful too. Curator: Well, it strikes me as how revealing symbols from history are. This shows us ways people found to hold memories and convey feeling that seem to have been lost in our technological age. Editor: Absolutely. It brings us closer to understanding ways of working and writing and making that perhaps don't even cross our minds. That to me, creates a vital connection across time.