Rejsedagbog 1845

Curator: Today, we’re looking at a page from Johan Thomas Lundbye's travel journal, "Rejsedagbog," dating back to 1845. It's a drawing on paper using ink and it's housed at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Editor: Immediately, I notice this page has a list of what looks like expenses. It is a reminder of how material travel can be, even for an artist seeking sublime experiences. Curator: Absolutely. The text provides insight into Lundbye’s daily life. Note the neat columns, possibly listing train tickets, food—down to milk, bread, and water. Look at it from the perspective of Romanticism and the intersection of artistic endeavor and practical concerns. Editor: It's also intriguing that we have both the costs and impressions together on the same page, the Alps inspiring him so while tracking his francs. Look at his descriptions; he speaks of holy spirits. I wonder, does he portray a connection between divinity, landscape, and artistic inspiration? Are the Alps serving as both muse and cathedral? Curator: The interplay between written notes and drawings must show something that really made an impression on Lundbye. His raw accounts tell a story. There are beautiful mountain ranges mentioned in his descriptions which are reflected as an overall landscape and that might give viewers an insight to Lundbye’s experiences in the location during that time. Editor: These mountains and landscape appear more metaphor than merely literal representations. They transcend description and begin to represent something akin to the sublime itself. They create an understanding of that sense of place and presence he experienced during his travel. Curator: Perhaps the cost details even contrast intentionally with those sublime descriptions; to note how such grandeur can come from the most humble ingredients and practical expenditures. It is very common for travelers to write notes in journals in great detail about food, transport and other resources. Editor: This small diary is rich in potential narratives and symbolisms, and these journal pages preserve so much of the mood and intention around its making. It truly captures a particular moment in travel history.