Og de klappede i Hænderne... 1928

Curator: Here we have Fritz Syberg’s “Og de klappede i Hænderne…”, an ink drawing from 1928, part of the collection at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: My first thought? A slightly haunting, beautiful memory, sketched from the corner of the artist's eye. There’s something so intimate in the rapid strokes of the pen. Curator: It's intriguing, isn't it? We see a gathering, maybe a celebration, yet Syberg renders the figures with an almost stark simplicity. The ink drawings such as these allow him to represent figures as well as landscape, capturing the relationship of these two features of representation within the human experience. We need to remember his connection to the Funen Painters—a group keen to depict everyday life and rural scenes. Editor: Rural life, but through such a specific lens! It feels almost dreamlike. That child reaching out—is it joy, desperation, or both? Syberg has bottled some essential, fleeting emotion in those thin lines. The expressions, though roughly rendered, vibrate. The way they face a different direction also feels very intentional to how they each absorb what’s in front of them. Curator: Exactly, it prompts us to consider the power dynamics at play. The title translates roughly to “And they clapped their hands…”, which adds another layer. The inscription is something that helps give context clues about this potentially complex family gathering, while not necessarily providing full context for us, the contemporary viewer. It feels like the figures here exist both outside of and within this historical dimension of representation, especially in terms of labor. Editor: It's funny, looking at this work. It evokes nostalgia, yes, but it's nostalgia tinged with melancholy. And, on a totally practical level, it makes me want to fill a sketchbook myself—capture the light as I see it. Curator: Syberg understood the power of art as a conduit for experiencing and understanding the intersection of our history, gender, and social environments. The raw emotion practically jumps off the page, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely. A tender sketch, a tender moment, fleeting and somehow eternal. It feels like holding a handful of dust, watching the wind carry it away. Beautiful.