Illustration til "Halvhundrede Fabler for Børn" af Hey 1834

Editor: So, here we have Martinus Rørbye’s illustration for "Halvhundrede Fabler for Børn," from 1834. It's an engraving, giving it this delicate, almost ethereal feel. There's this boy, caught mid-chase… It feels so fleeting, like a memory. What’s your take? Curator: Ah, Rørbye! A bit of a romantic, wasn't he? This illustration speaks to the charm of fleeting moments, much like trying to grasp smoke. He's captured the innocence of play, a world where a child's ambition is as simple as trying to catch a bird. I see this beautiful balance between light and shadow, giving it an almost dreamlike quality. Does the boy remind you of yourself as a child? What fantasies does the chasing gesture evoke in your mind? Editor: That's beautifully put. I hadn't considered the light and shadow aspect so deliberately, just enjoyed the overall scene. It’s funny you ask… as a kid I used to chase fireflies in the summer, believing I could catch their light in my hands. Do you think that Rørbye was recalling some lost idyll in the rising industrialised society when he did this? Curator: Exactly! The etching captures that nostalgia – the Romantic longing for an unsullied connection with nature, set against the backdrop of societal change. It is as if Rørbye were telling the viewers of the time, "Hold on to that childlike joy; it's precious and slipping away." Consider those crisp lines used in the trees; do they convey to you the urgency to grasp nature and the past? Editor: I guess so. It certainly makes me look at it in a new light. It’s funny, I always thought of engravings as very precise, but it does feel infused with feeling, a bit like holding someone's memory. Curator: Absolutely. Rørbye wasn’t just an artist; he was an emotionographer. He painted feelings onto the copper plate and left the impression to linger. So glad that you understand the Romantic nuance!