Dorthealiljerne blomstrer 1926 - 1927

Editor: We’re looking at “Dorthealiljerne blomstrer,” painted by Fritz Syberg between 1926 and 1927. It's currently at the SMK. It’s monochrome, a painting done with an air of realism. I find the figure positioned centrally in the painting evokes a reflective mood. How do you interpret this work considering its historical and social context? Curator: Considering Syberg’s era and artistic milieu, and noting the style is plein-air, I see it reflecting a yearning for simpler, perhaps more authentic times. The monochrome palette perhaps mutes what might have otherwise been an outwardly pretty scene to invoke something deeper. Given Syberg’s earlier, more overtly political work, it's compelling that he chooses this approach later in his life. Doesn't it strike you as somewhat withdrawn from the dominant art currents? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it as withdrawn, more as introspective, even personal. What kind of cultural impact do you think a piece like this would have had? Curator: It’s tricky. The Danish art world was navigating rapid change, with a growing international influence, moving quickly into modernism, which might consider an overt emotional display gauche. A monochrome study of a figure in nature, might feel conservative to some, sincere to others. Syberg walks a fine line with that stark honesty, don't you think? Was this a statement against or an engagement with society? Perhaps both, as a way to focus on his loved one while existing in Denmark. Editor: It’s amazing how looking at it from a historical lens shifts the focus from just what is depicted to what it might signify socially and politically. I was initially caught by the feeling of melancholy the piece transmits. Curator: Exactly, the painting’s public role and politics are definitely more nuanced than initially meets the eye! I appreciate how looking at it through your lens lets me rethink how such art affected people then and how it shapes our modern perspective.