Rejsedagbog. Firenze 1846

This is a page from Johan Thomas Lundbye's travel journal, likely penned in Florence sometime in the 1840s. Although words are the obvious symbol here, it's how Lundbye uses them that echoes through time. Consider the act of journaling itself, a practice laden with historical weight. From medieval monks meticulously copying manuscripts to Renaissance scholars recording observations of the natural world, the written word has long been a vessel for preserving knowledge and experience. Lundbye’s personal reflections connect him to this lineage. He is not merely documenting; he's participating in a cultural ritual that transcends time. In his notes we see how memories, emotions and observations become artifacts, revealing the non-linear, cyclical progression of personal experiences and shared cultural knowledge.