"Den ene abe faar den anden til at gabe." -Balscene. 1828 - 1829

Editor: So, this is "Den ene abe faar den anden til at gabe." -Balscene., a pen drawing by Christen Købke, made around 1828 or '29. It seems to depict a rather crowded ball! What strikes me is its ephemeral quality; the figures feel so lightly sketched, like ghosts dancing across the paper. What do you see in this work? Curator: Ghosts, you say? I love that! To me, it's like capturing a fleeting moment – the exuberance, perhaps the stifled yawns – of a society ball. KØbke's pen isn't just outlining figures; it’s conjuring an atmosphere. Have you ever noticed how even in the busiest social gatherings, there's always a hint of boredom, that inescapable human condition creeping in? Editor: Absolutely! It's almost satirical, this peek into high society. The title itself seems to suggest a certain…mindlessness? Curator: Precisely! "One ape makes another yawn." The repetition of gestures, the echoing dresses, it speaks to a lack of genuine engagement. But is it purely cynical? Look at the chandeliers, meticulously drawn; there’s beauty here too, perhaps KØbke is finding poetry in the mundane spectacle. What do you think about his rendering of details? Editor: Now that you point it out, the chandelier really stands out in detail. But still, to me it looks like it satirizes that Romantic era... or at least gives it an unique interpretation. Curator: It's a tightrope walk, isn’t it? Celebrating and questioning simultaneously. Perhaps the Romantic spirit wasn't always soaring eagles; sometimes, it was a room full of slightly bored, elegant apes, stifling their yawns. Editor: Well, I never thought of apes, yawn or eagles, but that certainly sheds new light on the work – a beautiful but perhaps weary view of society! Curator: And that's the joy of art, isn't it? To see ourselves, sometimes unflatteringly, reflected in its mirror. Makes one consider one's own "ape" tendencies, no?