Insekt 1865 - 1870

Editor: Here we have "Insekt," a small ink and woodcut print made by Joakim Skovgaard around 1865-1870. There's something immediate and graphic about it, almost like a child's drawing but with real attention to detail. What strikes you about it? Curator: It's interesting you mention the childlike quality. Consider how potent insects have been as symbols throughout history. In ancient Egypt, the scarab beetle represented rebirth and renewal. Could Skovgaard be tapping into that cultural memory? Editor: Perhaps! I didn't immediately think of the Egyptian scarab. Are there other potential meanings it holds? Curator: Think about insects more broadly. What associations do we have with them? Industry, persistence, even disease. Skovgaard lived during a time of immense scientific discovery, including advances in entomology. The close study of insects was becoming more prevalent. Editor: So maybe it's less about mythology and more about the natural world, and scientific observation? Curator: It's likely both. The power of images resides in their ability to hold multiple, sometimes conflicting, meanings. The print’s small scale draws us in close. What is typically viewed with repulsion or indifference demands careful consideration. Editor: It definitely does make you pause and examine it closely. Curator: Exactly. And even today, that inherent duality is present: disgust versus fascination. Skovgaard provides the symbolic seed; we, as viewers, decide what to nurture. Editor: That's fascinating, to think how such a small image can have such a big cultural history behind it, and continue to trigger multiple, ambiguous feelings!