Vildmand 1920 - 1923

Curator: Vilhelm Lundstrom created this etching titled "Vildmand," sometime between 1920 and 1923. The print, residing here at the SMK, captures the artist's exploration of form and texture. Editor: Woah, that's a moody piece! All those lines, like a frantic sketch. He feels… I don't know… trapped? Like a storm is brewing inside him and also all around him. Curator: "Vildmand," translating to "Wild Man," speaks to primal instincts, societal constructs and internal conflict. The title situates this figure within historical and symbolic archetypes, reflecting narratives of masculinity, otherness, and the struggle between civilization and raw human nature. Editor: Totally, primal is the word. It looks like the sort of drawing that comes out of some deep unconscious place... It feels both ancient and utterly modern. You see that swirl of lines in the background? Reminds me of anxieties piling up! Is it a tree or an emotion? Curator: Interesting point. The stark line work—while adhering to a sense of realism—certainly creates a sense of unease, possibly pointing to psychological turmoil. The "wild man" archetype throughout history carries various socio-political and gendered connotations. Editor: Right? Like, who gets labeled "wild"? Who decides what's civilized anyway? This isn't some triumphant hero; there is vulnerability here... it feels exposed and maybe even a little humiliated, marching along in its wildness. I feel drawn to its strength. Curator: By presenting a nude male form, Lundstrom challenges viewers to confront societal expectations regarding masculinity and power, exposing fragility within traditional ideals. His medium invites an intersectional discourse that interrogates identities, representation and perhaps resistance to conventional norms. Editor: I dig that. It makes you think about who gets to define those norms in the first place and I am definitely drawn into this figure, a little monster created only by pen lines, its awkward gait somehow so relatable to me in the everyday struggle. Thank you. Curator: A vital point. Considering the social milieu during and post World War I informs our understanding, so I think. It offers poignant insights on societal anxieties, power dynamics, identity politics as relevant today as then. Thanks for helping me think it all through!