Rejsedagbog. Haag 1846

Curator: This is a page from Johan Thomas Lundbye’s “Rejsedagbog. Haag,” dating back to 1846. It's a drawing in ink on paper, part of a larger travel journal housed at the Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the intimate scale of the journal. It invites such closeness and feels intensely personal. The cursive handwriting adds a certain weight—like unlocking a private reflection. Curator: Indeed, the journal form allows for a deeply subjective viewpoint. Lundbye, often celebrated for his Romantic landscapes, is here recording his personal encounters and reflections during his travels, blending observation with emotion. We might even say this reveals an intersection of artistic practice with self-discovery. Editor: Look closely at the repetitive looping and ascenders of the handwriting; they are visually grounding and offer subtle rhythmic patterns. They almost seem to echo recurring symbols of loss, absence, or even the passage of time, motifs prevalent in Romanticism. Curator: Lundbye lived during a period of immense socio-political changes and, in the historical contexts in which these diaries emerge, there were huge debates surrounding the nature of art. A lot of voices were calling for greater national awareness to build some kind of foundation for a Danish artistic and cultural identity. As Lundbye journeyed, he carried these weight with him. Editor: You can also sense the weight through how dark the ink appears in certain sections of each page. Light is a potent symbol. Shadows may represent inner turmoil while light might express bursts of revelation as he puts pen to page. Curator: And it all coalesces to illuminate the ways that individual artistic creation responds to larger cultural needs and personal identity crises. I appreciate seeing these intersecting narratives in his journal. Editor: Agreed, exploring this journal page really demonstrates the cultural endurance held in the form and imagery from this time. These diary pages have become a memory capsule, a personal, tangible form.