Rejsedagbog 1845

Editor: We are looking at "Rejsedagbog" or "Travel Journal" by Johan Thomas Lundbye, created in 1845. It’s a drawing in ink on paper, held at the SMK in Copenhagen. My immediate impression is that it resembles an open, aged notebook page filled with handwritten text. It evokes a sense of intimacy, as if peering into the artist's private thoughts. What do you see in this piece? Curator: As a historian, I’m drawn to the journal’s context within the socio-political sphere. Lundbye, working during the Danish Golden Age, participated in a rising tide of national romanticism. His art wasn’t merely aesthetic; it actively constructed a Danish identity rooted in the land and its people. Editor: How does a personal journal contribute to that? Curator: This wasn’t just personal; journals like these, even if not directly exhibited, circulated within artistic and intellectual circles. They became part of a larger conversation about art’s role in defining national character. Note how even his musings on colour theory intertwine with observations about the landscape. The act of recording, of closely observing and then articulating his perceptions in writing, shaped the way his audience and peers also engaged with their surroundings, fostering a shared visual vocabulary and understanding of Danish-ness. Do you see that playing out in the selection of certain colours or terrains? Editor: I think I see that, particularly the attention to detail… and I hadn’t considered the role it plays beyond just personal reflection. Curator: Exactly. The politics of imagery in the 19th century wasn't just about grand, public statements. It was also in the everyday acts of looking, recording, and sharing. This journal shows art in public life operating at a different scale. Editor: That is a different way of thinking about it – a more social and shared space. I will carry that forward in how I analyze artworks in the future.