Den laa i Mosen... 1928

Editor: So, this is "Den laa i Mosen..." made with pen and ink on paper by Fritz Syberg in 1928. It’s a pretty wild landscape—chaotic, almost. What strikes you about this drawing? Curator: Chaos is an interesting word, isn't it? It makes me think of my garden – a riot of textures and unplanned encounters, and if you will, perfectly reflecting the natural order. Look how Syberg coaxes such vibrancy out of what some might consider simple materials! The frenetic energy of the lines actually calms me, as if nature is holding its breath, then sighing. Don't you feel it too? That silent susurrus? Editor: I do, now that you mention it. At first, I just saw a jumble of lines. What do you think he was trying to capture here? Curator: I think Syberg wasn't just trying to *capture* nature, but rather *be* nature. It reminds me a bit of Chinese landscape painting where the artist seeks communion. Perhaps he was sketching directly *in* the landscape – feeling the scratch of the pen on paper mirroring the prickle of unseen things moving through the undergrowth. A very human impulse, wanting to belong! Editor: That’s beautiful! It reframes the “chaos” I saw as something much more intimate and immersive. I wouldn't have gotten there on my own. Curator: And I wouldn’t have been able to name it without your "chaos." That's the joy of looking together, don’t you think? It is indeed in looking together that new landscapes open.