Rejsedagbog. Haag 1846

Editor: This is "Rejsedagbog. Haag," a travel journal entry created by Johan Thomas Lundbye in 1846. It's an ink drawing on paper, currently held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. The page is filled with script, and there are small drawings within the text. I'm intrigued by how the written and drawn elements blend together. What do you see in this piece? Curator: As a formalist, I'm drawn to the inherent structural elements. Observe the density and texture created by the layering of ink. Note the relationship between the tight, controlled script and the looser, more expressive sketches that interrupt its flow. These opposing forces are vital to understanding the artistic intention of the work. Editor: So, you are more interested in how he used ink and handwriting as art, and less concerned with the specific words he was writing? Curator: Precisely. It’s the arrangement, the pattern, the interplay of dark and light that captivates. Consider the negative space surrounding the ink—the white of the paper defining the shapes, allowing our eye to rest before returning to the density of the script. It asks, what is the value of art that's also a historical document? Editor: I never really thought about approaching art this way, looking at the pure design instead of trying to figure out any story. It’s fascinating to consider the visual impact independently of its narrative. Curator: And do you find it offers a fresh appreciation of Lundbye’s artistry? Editor: Absolutely. It shifts my focus from the representational to the presentational. It makes me more alert to all the aesthetic components of a work.