Niels Klim dukker igen op mellem de norske klipper 1786 - 1788

Editor: We’re looking at "Niels Klim dukker igen op mellem de norske klipper" or "Niels Klim Reappears Between the Norwegian Cliffs" made between 1786 and 1788 by J.F. Clemens. It’s a print, using etching. It feels almost theatrical – the figure emerging onto what appears to be a stage. What do you make of it? Curator: Theatrical, yes, and operatic too! The lighting is dramatic, almost absurd, shining on Niels Klim as he returns from his subterranean adventures. Do you see the sheer terror – or is it awe? – etched (pun intended!) onto his face? It makes me wonder about the nature of discovery itself. Is it always joyous, or is there an element of the frightening and unknown we have to confront? Editor: It’s definitely unsettling, his expression doesn’t read as pure joy. What’s with the weird stalactite-looking shapes looming in the background? Curator: Those spiky forms, hovering ethereally, are quite peculiar, aren't they? Perhaps they represent the unreal worlds he encountered beneath the earth – a literal manifestation of the psychological landscape he navigated. Makes you consider, what exactly did Niels *bring* back up from his travels? More than he realizes, perhaps. What do *you* bring up, surfacing in the world each day? Editor: That’s deep! I mostly think about my to-do list, to be honest. But the idea of bringing something, even unintentionally, that’s… well, it changes how I see the picture. The stalactites now seem like thoughts or anxieties. Curator: Exactly! And Clemens, through his etching, invites us to consider those invisible burdens – or gifts. Don’t forget that Klim isn't standing there for our benefit – in this instance, it's only *we* who were meant to come away having experienced something novel! Editor: It's a strange, effective, almost unnerving way to convey that. Definitely more than I expected from what I initially thought was just a historical scene. Curator: That’s the power of art – and a dash of subterranean weirdness, of course. We descend, we discover, we… re-emerge, slightly different, forever altered, into our cliffs.