Rejsedagbog. Firenze 1846

Curator: Today we’re looking at "Rejsedagbog. Firenze," or "Travel Journal. Florence," by Johan Thomas Lundbye. It's a drawing made with ink on paper in 1846. What strikes you first about this piece? Editor: It's so intimate, isn't it? You can almost feel Lundbye hunched over it in a dimly lit room, scribbling away his thoughts. The texture of the paper seems aged and slightly worn, which reinforces a sense of authenticity in witnessing his personal journey through artmaking. Curator: Lundbye was, of course, deeply rooted in Romanticism, finding beauty in the natural world. The journal format underscores the personal connection that was such a driving force in that movement. Editor: I wonder about the ink itself—what was its origin? The tools he was using undoubtedly shaped the outcome of the drawings on these pages, how each pen stroke responded to this particular batch of processed pulp and ink mix is beyond fascinating to think about... The paper's fibers resisted or absorbed the ink and affected legibility. Each choice was deliberate or consequential for that day. Curator: Exactly, and the physicality of the journal gives it a very immediate feeling—like a snapshot of a thought. You are instantly transported to his experiences. Editor: Thinking about his Florentine context... were these readily available art supplies? Was he frugal or experimental with materials and page-space in mind? Each turned leaf within this travelogue represented choices and restrictions simultaneously. Curator: Lundbye’s landscapes and travel sketches often captured a longing for the sublime, but also the simple pleasures of life. There’s such warmth in how he translates this new Italian landscape onto these notebook pages. Editor: Absolutely. When we consider these sketches, not only can we delve into Romantic ideals, but also into questions about the labor that enabled even their very creation. Both are entwined within these now fragile sheets. Curator: It's funny how such a small object can spark so many questions! Editor: Isn’t it, though? Looking closely helps reveal the history embedded deep within its ink-stained pages.