Udsigt fra et vindue ved Lungarnoen over floden mod Santo Spirito og San Miniatohøjderne, Firenze 1923 - 1924

Curator: Immediately, I am struck by the atmospheric perspective and skeletal nature of Weie’s landscape. There’s a sense of incompleteness that is quite compelling. Editor: Indeed. Let's consider Edvard Weie's pencil drawing from around 1923-1924, entitled "View from a window by the Lungarno over the river towards the Santo Spirito and San Miniato hills, Florence.” It presents the city as more idea than reality. Curator: Agreed. Note the bridge depicted – its arches form these stark, repetitive geometries. Also, look at the water—it is rendered almost as a series of vertical strokes. The mark-making throughout emphasizes linearity over mass, creating this overall airy effect. Editor: One must recall Florence at this time – a city grappling with modernization yet deeply entrenched in its Renaissance past. How might the city’s self-image influenced Weie, a Danish artist, recording its streets? Did the influx of foreigners change what Florentines expected from urban landscapes? Curator: Intriguing question! And considering his marks—notice how seemingly haphazard they appear and yet there’s such deliberation in how they accumulate density and guide the viewer's eyes? Editor: That visual rhythm speaks to something deeper, perhaps? Florence was experiencing significant tourism increases in that decade after the Great War. Curator: Fascinating… and perhaps the sketch acts as more than just a view. Notice the small figures on the left—tiny signifiers amidst this broad view. The bridge, too, could be a cultural signifier as well. Editor: So you’re suggesting this cityscape transcends mere representation to reveal something of the city’s state, how its traditions grapple with early twentieth-century tourism? A brilliant distillation, in the end. Curator: Exactly. It encourages viewers to look past the surface.