Vignet til "I Valladolid" 1878

Curator: Let's turn our attention to this delightful vignette by Waldemar Bøhme, created around 1878. The full title is “Vignet til 'I Valladolid'.” It's currently housed here at the SMK, and what strikes me first is its incredible tenderness. Editor: The tenderness certainly shines through, but the crispness of the engraving gives it a formality that plays beautifully against the depiction of childhood. Are we meant to feel slightly amused at these serious babies playing dress-up? Curator: I think amusement is definitely part of the equation. I mean, look at the one on the left, seemingly a young king complete with makeshift crown and cape. The composition and theme speaks volumes of Romanticism with its inherent playfulness. Editor: Agreed. Considering its place as a book vignette, it raises questions of printmaking in the late 19th century – who was commissioning these kinds of images, and what kind of labour was involved in producing such finely detailed engravings? The materiality of the book as object, meant for mass consumption, seems to clash a bit with the aristocratic air of the subject matter, doesn't it? Curator: That's a clever connection to draw out; and perhaps we're supposed to read it as commentary on class or social mobility; even children aspire, they are playful, inventive but held back? I can only wonder if there's even a self-portrait slipped into this, of him as the young prince reaching out for validation! Editor: Fascinating! Viewing through that Romantic lens certainly enriches the narrative potential, and in understanding that, there is a reminder of how intertwined artistic identity becomes with these objects they create in the shadow of history. Curator: Absolutely. To really look is to uncover those unexpected whispers from across time. Thank you for that. Editor: And thank you for bringing that personal, human element, back to these artistic materials, from a different century!