Rejsedagbog 1845

Curator: Well, here we have Johan Thomas Lundbye's "Rejsedagbog," or "Travel Journal," from 1845. It's ink on paper and it’s currently in the collection of the SMK in Copenhagen. Editor: It's fascinating! I'm struck by the density of the script. It almost feels like the words themselves are a landscape he's trying to capture. How do you see it? Curator: Ah, "a landscape of words"—I love that! I think what you're picking up on is the way Romantic artists like Lundbye saw nature: not just as a pretty scene, but as a mirror to their own souls. Handwriting, especially in a personal diary, becomes a kind of self-portrait, doesn’t it? It reflects the movement of his mind, his fleeting thoughts. Editor: That makes sense. The Romantic period was all about emotional expression, wasn’t it? But it's so raw and unfiltered here. Curator: Exactly. And remember, this wasn’t meant for public consumption. It's intimate, private. You’re getting a peek into the artist's stream of consciousness. Are you getting a sense of the cultural context? What are his jottings? Editor: I wonder, does it describe landscapes he encountered on his travels or chronicle moments, feelings or random thoughts. It also makes me wonder about the purpose of keeping such a journal in Romanticism? Curator: It's a repository of his observations and internal world; I suspect the writing is spontaneous, a way to grasp those ephemerel, perhaps sublime experiences that artists like Lundbye were so intent on documenting. To keep and carry those impressions with him always... Editor: So, the 'Travel Journal' as an archive for memories to feed imagination? That is really intriguing... Thank you. Curator: And thank you; your take offered me some insight today as well!