Advokat (?) 1897 - 1949

Curator: We’re standing before Robert Storm Petersen's "Advokat (?)." Its creation dates somewhere between 1897 and 1949. This drawing, crafted with pen, now resides here at the SMK. Editor: My initial reaction is one of amusement tinged with a bit of unease. There's a forceful, almost aggressive energy emanating from this caricature. The stark contrasts of black ink on the page certainly emphasize that feeling. Curator: It is interesting to consider Petersen's technical choices here. Note how the stark lines delineate form and contribute to the figure's dynamism. Observe, too, the precise arrangement of graphic elements used to define a narrative of professional persona. Editor: I see the aggressive legal system he might be mocking, where truth and justice often become commodities manipulated by the elite. Look at the attire and ask: Who exactly is benefiting from his services and at what cost? Is Petersen using this comic lens to invite reflection on societal inequities? Curator: While the interpretation is open, we must appreciate that the strength here comes from the controlled hand and balanced composition of its formal elements, resulting in a striking portrait. There's no overabundance of detail, yet it precisely delivers the message intended by the artist through carefully selected, reductive design choices. Editor: Perhaps this simplicity invites closer scrutiny. A more thorough investigation can reveal societal structures and systems of power at work during the first half of the 20th century in Denmark, inviting a broader, global dialogue about the caricature's relevancy today. It pushes us to question inherited biases about class and position. Curator: Well, whichever way it stirs your intellect, Robert Storm Petersen gives us much to consider and ponder aesthetically and psychologically. Editor: Exactly. The beauty lies in how such a seemingly simple piece of artwork is a space that raises essential dialogues around access, accountability, and authority figures within society.