Parti af egnen ved Salzburg 1834

Editor: This artwork, titled "Parti af egnen ved Salzburg", was created in 1834 by Johann Mohr and is held at the SMK in Copenhagen. The greyscale evokes a solemn, almost timeless mood. I am curious – what strikes you most when considering the context around its creation? Curator: I see a record of labour. Landscape paintings often seem to romanticize nature, but think about the materials Mohr used. The canvas itself: where was the flax grown, who wove it, who transported it? Consider too the pigments; derived from minerals or plants, each shade representing extractive industries. It all points to the material conditions that enabled even a fleeting "plein-air" study like this. Editor: So you are suggesting that even though the artwork seems to just depict nature, it can be interpreted by what went in to the manufacturing of it? Curator: Precisely. By thinking about these raw components and their journey into becoming this piece of art, we can also acknowledge the relationship of human work to landscape. How are natural resources depicted, exploited and altered for our economic processes, or by the very act of portraying nature through artistic materials? How does the development of techniques, like painting outdoors directly reflect and participate in shifts in production and labor during the early 19th century? Editor: I’ve never really considered the work involved to create art like this and the effects from manufacturing. Now it gives a lot to think about as a finished work. Curator: Yes, by questioning its manufacturing and labour, you discover layers of understanding often overlooked.