Studier af en grip og tre ørne 1898

Curator: So, here we have “Studies of a Griffin and Three Eagles” by Christian Kongstad Petersen, dating from 1898, rendered in pencil. What strikes you most about this work? Editor: Well, the artist has clearly spent a lot of time on capturing each individual creature, their likeness is accurate in my eye. It's also on unassuming paper, which you don't usually expect in grand museum collections. How do you see this drawing? Curator: Precisely! I see the hand of the artist laid bare through his meticulous recording. We get access to Petersen's process of translating the physicality of the bird onto paper via a pencil; labor is very visible. Consider how paper was manufactured and circulated at the time, what its availability signaled. Also think about where these drawings were made, whether 'on site' or in a studio. The making of art has a deep connection to commerce and technology. Editor: That's a fascinating way to approach it. The availability of the paper stock adds to my reading of this as almost mass-produced... Like these studies were being widely consumed for artists! Curator: Exactly! Before the ubiquity of photography, drawings such as these served to disseminate visual information. Also, think about the ethics of displaying preparatory drawings like this – is it ethical if it was not meant to be shown publicly in the artist's eyes? Editor: I didn’t really think about it that way. Now I see how studying the materials reveals the world surrounding it. Curator: Indeed, and how the context transforms the meaning. Editor: So it seems it reveals Petersen’s artistic journey, not only through observation of the birds, but with commerce. Thanks for expanding my horizons! Curator: My pleasure! It has been a learning experience for me as well.