Lucia, Whimsey, Bellona, Hertha, Olga 1848

Curator: What strikes me first about this painting is the stillness—a quiet harmony amidst the potential drama of the sky. Editor: I see what you mean. The approaching storm clouds hang heavy, but the horses remain so placid, almost posed. This is Fritz Thomsen's “Lucia, Whimsey, Bellona, Hertha, Olga,” an oil painting created in 1848 and held in the collection of the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. It is a genre painting rendered with striking realism and romantic sentiment. Curator: It feels so deliberately composed, almost stage-like. These aren't just horses; they're archetypes. Are they symbols, maybe? They could represent tranquility right before the winds of social change pick up. Like those clouds that give everything an otherwordly, radiant feel. Editor: The horses undoubtedly resonate within the context of 19th-century nationalism and romanticism. During this period, there was increasing glorification of nature, but more pertinently, a reevaluation of class dynamics through genre painting. Perhaps Thomsen comments on humanity's harmonious relationship with the natural world, reflecting broader debates on social structures and political shifts of the time. These animals represent power and labor but are shown here at ease, so is it a suggestion that their freedom is coming? Curator: Or perhaps, the calm before a revolution? Thinking of them as almost mythical figures, resting as these dark clouds creep over the horizon. The painting is beautiful but ominous and maybe hints that everything can change on a whim. The title suggests each horse may be a "someone". Editor: Certainly. Thomsen’s deliberate detail almost monumentalizes a fleeting moment. But, what could those "someones" do in that exact moment? It is always open for discussion, it has potential, I'd say. And so do we! Curator: Absolutely! The questions are just as valuable as any answers the art gives us. Thanks to this experience I found a place of contemplation of power of beings that are sometimes considered to not be as intelligent, as humans are supposed to be. It shifted my perspective today. Editor: It has been fascinating to interpret the multiple meanings embedded in Thomsen's “Lucia, Whimsey, Bellona, Hertha, Olga,” its ability to foster thought, inspire awe, and spark social understanding. Let's remember that there are many more perspectives beyond our own!