Opkørt vej mellem træer 1899

Curator: This etching by Thorvald Niss, dating to 1899, is titled "Opkørt vej mellem træer" – roughly translated, "Upturned Road Between Trees." It resides here at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: The road certainly is "upturned." Or, at least, furrowed, reflecting a dark sky. The light reflecting in those ruts draws me into an almost somber space. What stands out for you initially? Curator: I’m struck by the labor inherent in the medium of etching itself. Niss meticulously creates this image by using acid to bite into the metal plate. Consider the skill involved in controlling that process to produce such delicate lines and subtle tonal variations, capturing light. Editor: The “upturned” or, I guess, rutted road and dense thicket feel oppressive, almost like a physical barrier, a limitation on movement or escape. Do you think this feeling speaks to the social or political climate of the time? Late 19th-century Denmark was grappling with rapid industrialization, class disparity… Curator: Absolutely. One might argue that Niss is representing the difficult conditions facing rural workers at the time. The rugged landscape mirrors their hardscrabble lives. We also can think of printmaking as an inherently democratic medium—the ability to create multiples would have allowed this artwork to be viewed more widely. Editor: The repetitive lines and patterns of the etching feel very deliberate, a commentary maybe, on the way societal structures, like those dark trees looming over, confine and mold us. Niss is creating something reproducible, something easily circulated… maybe he intends for us to think about the way art and images shape political opinions? Curator: Possibly, yes. Etching techniques like hatching and cross-hatching enabled Niss to create a great amount of detail in these individual prints. It's fascinating how he merges artistic expression with industrial processes. Editor: It definitely provides an insight into the materiality and labor within art. Thinking about Niss' intention of his work existing not as a single art object, but a multiples project… shifts my perspective on the emotional tone to maybe one of defiance through creative dissemination. Curator: So, what initially struck you as somber, becomes defiant when considering dissemination as a function of printmaking and possibly societal intent. I appreciate the shift in seeing Niss as engaged rather than observational. Editor: Absolutely. It recontextualizes the work completely.