Studie af egegrene 1839 - 1917

Curator: This pencil drawing, tenderly titled "Studie af egegrene," or "Study of Oak Twigs," comes to us from the hand of Hans Smidth. It's held here at the SMK, the Statens Museum for Kunst. What are your first thoughts looking at it? Editor: There's a quiet confidence here, like a naturalist quietly recording what they see, and being completely absorbed. I notice a meditative quality in the repeated, almost hypnotic shapes of the oak leaves. It feels intensely personal. Curator: Absolutely. I think the choice of the oak is significant. Across so many cultures, the oak stands as a symbol of strength, resilience, even immortality. Seeing it sketched here like this…what does that whisper to you, regarding those associations? Editor: The fact that it's just twigs rather than the whole tree tempers the image somewhat. There’s something humble in focusing on the miniature rather than the majestic, like a memento of greater things. I keep wanting to touch them, the almost felt-like texture, with such sensitivity. Curator: Smidth definitely captured an essence. Though he may not be a household name, pieces like this underscore a wonderful ability to look closely and appreciate details. It seems very characteristic of so much drawing in this era, but with the oak and the detail and its place in cultural imagination… I am almost thinking the drawing seems larger, the presence more important than the humble pencil lead should allow. Editor: I feel exactly the same way! You start wondering what compelled Smidth to stop and really, really look. A reverence for the organic, maybe? An antidote to the increasing pace of the outside world in the city, even in the late 1800's when it was done? Curator: Could be either, and certainly something about the Danish experience. The intensity of observation reminds me of some lines by poet Rainer Maria Rilke in his "Duino Elegies" on our mortal moment in life as, "Once, just once". Maybe this captures this. Editor: The ephemeral nature of things... I love that perspective. Curator: Yes, and to know that something so monumental and meaningful can stem from what is seemingly so small is a thought I will gladly keep today. Editor: Indeed, there's so much potential in that quietness. What a delicate piece and interesting thought to take away from it all.