Rejsedagbog 1845

Curator: Welcome! Before us is "Rejsedagbog," or "Travel Journal," created around 1845 by Johan Thomas Lundbye. It’s a page from a sketchbook, likely rendered in pen on paper. Editor: My first thought is... intimate. You know? Like catching a glimpse of the artist's inner world. All this script, penned in what I imagine to be a moving carriage or quiet pensione, it feels so personal. Curator: Absolutely. The romantic movement highly valued subjective experience. The journal format perfectly embodies that focus, right? We see his notes on sculptures by Michelangelo, perhaps drafts of paintings. It's like we are leafing through his brain, seeing the connections he makes in real time. Editor: It's more than just notes, though, isn't it? There's an artistic impulse to the lettering, the spacing. Even the crossings out feel deliberate, expressive. Almost as if each entry isn't just a note, but a little work in its own right, almost an asemic work... Curator: And seeing those names, places, like "Villa Albani," they speak to a grand tour tradition. We often forget artists were embedded in those specific cultures and rituals of travel. These voyages and pilgrimages across Europe would influence generations. Editor: And each note becomes an echo of the original inspiration and insight... I get a strange, warm feeling. It brings this distant figure and distant place into striking closeness... like I've suddenly found someone similar. Curator: Indeed. There’s an intriguing combination of spontaneity and care in its creation, and as an object, it connects us across time. We get access to his artistic development, and cultural immersion. It reminds us how vital it is to always keep exploring. Editor: Very lovely! A reminder that inspiration is both a personal thing and a historical phenomenon. A great reason to keep one's journal. Thanks so much!