Træmenneskene i bøn paa den ubegribelige guds dag 1786 - 1788

Curator: What strikes me immediately is the almost palpable sense of awe. The density of the scene and the way the figures are depicted create such an unnerving sensation. Editor: Indeed. Let’s delve a bit deeper. This etching, entitled "Træmenneskene i bøn paa den ubegribelige guds dag" or "The Tree People Praying on the Incomprehensible God's Day", was created by J.F. Clemens between 1786 and 1788. It’s currently part of the collection here at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Curator: The title itself piques my interest. 'Tree People'. There is a merging of human and nature—beings of nature and humanity coexisting. Editor: It aligns strongly with the Romanticism movement, where the boundaries between humans and nature often blurred. Notice how Clemens renders the figures – they appear to rise directly out of the forest floor like trunks of trees, their forms are elongated and ghostly, and there are about ten of them watching the kneeling character. The textures mimic bark. Curator: Absolutely, and the way the kneeling figure presents themselves, is a deliberate contrast. They're a lone, recognizable human shape submitting themselves to the divine within that primeval gathering, equipped with both cloak and sword. It is worth examining how this reinforces social hierarchies in this society where there is such reverence for land and country. It's about human connection to nature and authority, surely? Editor: I wonder if they're surrendering their will or acknowledging something much larger than themself? What does this imply for society and the power it welds? We should note the print medium itself adds to this conversation, a medium meant for wider distribution, and that gives it added impact in cultural history, and perhaps political meaning? Curator: Good point. This invites contemplation on both a personal and public level – the scale is intimate but hints at something vast and timeless. It has certainly stayed with me. Editor: Yes, me too. Clemens truly captures that feeling of sublime wonder and inherent humanity, even in the face of the incomprehensible. It reminds us that the questions about our place in the world persist through time.