Ved Nymølle 1885 - 1891

Curator: This etching by Louise Ravn-Hansen, titled "Ved Nymølle," made sometime between 1885 and 1891, depicts a tranquil landscape. It's a subtle piece, what are your immediate impressions? Editor: My initial reaction is one of melancholy. The somber tones and bare trees evoke a sense of solitude, like the scene after a significant event, where you contemplate how things have changed and you look for the chance to build a more just world. Curator: It's interesting that you pick up on that. Ravn-Hansen was a master of realism, carefully depicting the world around her. But that world, in the late 19th century, was also undergoing massive industrial and social changes. This landscape could be seen as a comment on the disappearing rural way of life. Editor: Exactly! Looking at it now, I see it through the lens of the pre-modern world giving way to the anxieties of modernity. Consider the gendered aspect: Ravn-Hansen, as a female artist in a male-dominated field, channels anxieties felt about industrialization and also reflects those linked to visibility in an art industry and marketplace built on patriarchal power structures. Curator: It's a poignant reading. She’s deliberately positioning herself and her viewers, us, to reflect on our position. One can see how art institutions today strive to ensure wider, more equitable representation, offering nuanced perspectives, such as Ravn-Hansen's, a place in historical accounts. Editor: And the location becomes important, too. Is it near a mill, “Nymølle?” Mills at that time represent industry, commerce, progress – but also, destruction of natural resources, wealth disparity, child labor. Her landscape is charged with those meanings. Curator: Absolutely, the presence of the mill in the title adds another layer. What seems like a serene landscape then carries a silent protest, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Without a doubt, Louise Ravn-Hansen prompts reflection on industrialisation’s impact, while simultaneously showcasing an emerging and increasingly urgent female gaze within the traditionally exclusive realm of landscape art. It subtly asks us who it represents and who it excludes. Curator: Well, it’s a powerful example of how art can subtly engage with complex historical shifts. Thank you. Editor: A perfect point on which to end. Thank you, too.