Rejsedagbog 1845

This is a page from Johan Thomas Lundbye’s travel journal from 1845. It resides now in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Journals and sketchbooks became popular in the early 19th century, particularly among artists travelling through Europe. This coincided with the rise of Romanticism, an artistic movement that emphasized individual experience and the sublime aspects of nature. Lundbye’s journal reflects these trends, documenting his personal encounters with art and nature. The text in Danish, alongside lists of Italian churches, reveals Lundbye's intellectual and spiritual journey. His notes offer insights into his artistic development and the cultural values of his time. Travel was linked to social class, but also to the rising status of the artist within society. To fully appreciate Lundbye's journal, we can use archival material, biographies, and exhibition catalogs to understand how art was conceived, promoted, and consumed in 19th-century Denmark. This helps us to uncover the social and institutional forces that shaped Lundbye's artistic vision.