Digteren Jens Baggesen 1901

Editor: This is Julius Schultz's 1901 bronze sculpture, "The Poet Jens Baggesen," here at the SMK. The figure's pose seems… unsure, maybe a bit burdened. What can you tell me about this work? Curator: Looking at the sculpture from a materialist perspective, the very choice of bronze, and the processes involved in its creation – the casting, the tooling, the patination – speaks volumes about artistic production at the turn of the century. Bronze, a durable material, traditionally associated with commemorative statuary and the valorization of its subject through labour. Editor: How does the sculpture engage with the subject’s status as a poet, or intellectual? Curator: Well, think about it: the artist chose bronze. This dictates process, demanding specific types of skilled labor. The material becomes the message. A question we should ask ourselves is why? Baggesen had a certain social standing which allowed the sculpture to exist in the first place, what relationship did he have to the modes of bronze productions. Editor: I guess I was expecting something more overtly “poetic” or “romantic”. Curator: But consider the social implications. Schultz wasn’t just immortalizing an individual; he was engaging with contemporary social values concerning artistry, commemoration, and how status dictates labour and material usage. Was Schultz commenting on these implications? Editor: So, focusing on the material and method really opens up new interpretations, shifting away from solely the “poetic” depiction of the person. Thank you. Curator: Exactly. Examining the choices, from the bronze itself to the specific techniques, lets us decode how art acts as both a product and reflection of its society.