Rejsedagbog. Brügge 1846

Johan Thomas Lundbye created this page from his travel journal in Bruges using paper, and ink sometime in the 1840s. Lundbye chose readily available materials to document his thoughts and observations. Paper, the grounding for this artwork, bears witness to the artist's experiences. Its texture provides a tactile surface for the ink, a medium capable of capturing the nuances of language and the immediacy of his thoughts. The flow of ink across the page mirrors the flow of Lundbye's consciousness, and the narrative unfolds through careful penmanship. These humble materials were the tools of a vibrant, burgeoning literary culture in the 19th century. Lundbye engaged with a tradition of travel writing, which democratized knowledge and experience, making it accessible beyond the elite. The very act of writing in a journal democratized the process of art-making, turning lived experience into a work of art.