Portræt af Ludvig Brandstrup, stående foroverbøjet 1900 - 1949

Curator: We’re looking at a striking line drawing by Felix Nylund, titled "Portræt af Ludvig Brandstrup, stående foroverbøjet," dating sometime between 1900 and 1949. It’s held here at the SMK. Editor: He’s got this incredible sense of downward movement—almost as if the very air around him is pushing him down. Melancholic, maybe even burdened. It's such a raw, simple expression. Curator: It’s interesting that you mention “burdened” because that’s been a recurring theme among many Scandinavian portraitures of that era – not quite revolutionary, yet they evoke this heavy state of self-reflection... and Brandstrup himself, if my memory serves, was quite the perfectionist who grappled intensely with his works, and with their reception by a changing art market. Editor: That resonates—I see that inner tension visualized in the forward stoop of the figure. But there's also an undeniable intimacy. I mean, look at the spare lines, confident but unfinished, allowing so much… negative space... it draws us into this private moment, as if we're seeing him unaware. What's intriguing too is his lack of a plinth – very telling of how figurations were evolving in terms of art presentation. Curator: That raw approach, of course, can be seen as part of the general shift away from more formal portraiture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The move towards something more informal also reflected a changing understanding of the social function of art as such. How it engaged more in people's every day realities... Editor: There's such bravery, or even maybe rebellion, against the old conventions there, and seeing how Brandstrup as a sculptor would eventually have this influence... I mean, Nylund really gets to the heart of things in a totally understated way here... The stark contrast of dark lines on light paper somehow enhances this notion of seeing through, or peeling off... Curator: Definitely a worthwhile glimpse into that crucial transition point. And considering these drawing skills… it's another story entirely. I think our listeners, armed with new historical and social knowledge, should continue this viewing experience themselves. Editor: Yes. Maybe in his bending form he’s almost digging something up. Something profound about what it means to see someone bare all.