Reisnotities 1875

George Clausen’s "Reisnotities" is a simple page torn from what appears to be a travel journal, a mundane list of expenses meticulously jotted down. Yet, these ordinary numbers and notations—prices of beer, lodgings, perhaps sketches of "little girls"—evoke a tradition of record-keeping that stretches back to antiquity. Think of Roman tabulae, recording daily life and transactions, or medieval monastic chronicles. The act of writing itself, of imposing order on the chaos of experience, is a deeply human impulse. In these economic notes, do we find echoes of similar records across time and place? How are similar motifs seen in contemporary grocery lists? These simple lists offer a glimpse into the artist's world, evoking emotional and psychological associations. This humble ledger, so easily overlooked, thus becomes a potent relic—a testament to the enduring human need to capture the fleeting moments of our lives.