Landskabsudkast og studier af øjne 1831 - 1852

Editor: We’re looking at "Landskabsudkast og studier af øjne" by Dankvart Dreyer, a pencil drawing from the mid-19th century. It’s currently at the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst. What strikes me most is how unusual it is to see eyes floating above a faint landscape! It feels like a study in contrasts…What catches your eye when you look at this, our expert? Curator: That contrast is everything, isn't it? Like two separate worlds – the emotional, internal world of the eyes, hovering over this…almost placid, external landscape. Each set of eyes seems to carry its own little story. What stories do *you* think they’re telling? Editor: Some look… intense. Even suspicious, while others are downcast. Then there is the wispy landscape. Was this a common practice, combining portraits and landscapes? Curator: Well, not quite "portraits," per se. More like fragments of emotion. I like to imagine Dreyer capturing the landscape as a reflection of these various inner states, the eyes observing, feeling, maybe even judging it. They weren't always shown together, as complete compositions, so one wonders about his method. Doesn't it make you wonder if those aren't *his* eyes in various moods, a kind of emotional self-portrait refracted through the scenery? Editor: That’s a really fascinating perspective. A study in self-perception maybe? Curator: Precisely. It transcends the simple pencil sketch and touches on something much more intimate, a private dialogue with himself… It’s what makes a “simple” study truly remarkable, no? Editor: I never considered that. I came looking at technique, now I am leaving considering emotional intent. Thank you for sharing.