Landskab med hus t.v. Sydfrankrig 1920 - 1923

Editor: Here we have Vilhelm Lundstrom’s "Landskab med hus t.v. Sydfrankrig," a landscape done in ink and watercolor, dating from around 1920 to 1923. It feels almost… unfinished, a fleeting impression. What do you see in it? Curator: I see a modernist attempt to capture not just a scene, but a feeling – the feeling of inhabiting that scene. Lundstrom wasn't merely depicting Southern France; he was engaging with its cultural narrative, its post-war identity. The sketch-like quality, almost like a field note, becomes critical. How does this immediacy speak to a broader trend in the aftermath of World War I to return to nature in an effort to recapture the ‘authentic’? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t thought of it in relation to the war. The limited palette seems deliberate. Is that something you key in on? Curator: Absolutely. The muted tones, almost monochrome, resist romanticising the landscape. There’s an austerity here, a lack of color that forces us to consider what’s *absent*. Think about who had access to Southern France during that time and what that means regarding class and privilege. Who is invited into this "authentic" nature, and who is excluded? Is the return to "authentic" nature accessible for everyone? Editor: That definitely gives me a new perspective. It's more layered than I initially thought. Curator: Art is rarely what it seems at first glance. By understanding the sociopolitical currents running beneath the surface, we get closer to what Lundstrom was attempting to communicate. It also provides more insight to Lundstrom and Danish identity. Editor: I see that now. I'm glad I asked! Curator: Me too. It is artworks like this that enable new dialogues about art and intersectional theory.