Studie af to soppende børn og tre gæs 1869 - 1945

Curator: Welcome. Before us is a drawing by Ludvig Find, titled "Studie af to soppende børn og tre gæs" dating from 1869 to 1945. It's rendered in pencil. Editor: My initial impression is one of gentle observation. The pencil strokes are light, almost tentative, lending a fleeting, ephemeral quality to the scene of children and geese. Curator: Exactly. What interests me here is the process. The drawing itself reads as a study—not a finished product but an exploration of form and subject. Note the economic use of material; the plain paper supporting faint, yet definite, lines. Editor: I am immediately drawn to the cultural narrative woven through the figures chosen. The children, symbols of innocence, juxtaposed with the geese—often seen as symbols of vigilance and community in folklore. Curator: Interesting. The image certainly depicts familiar themes. But to me it evokes how Find translated the everyday labor and observation inherent in the 'study' genre, using modest materials available at the time. The grade of pencil, the texture of the paper, it all speaks to the production of art within the everyday. Editor: I appreciate the materiality, certainly, but consider also the children's relationship to nature being portrayed, the geese themselves echoing folk motifs across time. Curator: Do you see a hierarchy at work? Where do the 'high' art aspirations of a finished drawing, versus the material conditions allowing this study meet in cultural worth? How is value decided by these markers of making? Editor: I see them as coexisting layers enriching the narrative, like threads woven together through generations. The drawing presents timeless themes of human interaction with nature, imbued with historical echoes, beyond mere physical material concerns. Curator: Indeed, those threads are intrinsically woven and tell interesting stories when teased apart. Editor: Agreed. Each viewpoint grants a more nuanced comprehension. Thanks for sharing.