Prøveblad med advokater 1795 - 1854

Editor: Here we have "Prøveblad med advokater," or "Trial Sheet with Lawyers," a lithograph and drawing from between 1795 and 1854 by N.B. Krossing. The satirical mood strikes me right away, but the layout feels so peculiar and sketch-like, it feels as though these courtroom figures were caught in a playful moment. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Oh, it’s delicious, isn’t it? These aren't your solemn portraits. This feels like eavesdropping on someone's mischievous thoughts, or perhaps a rehearsal gone hilariously wrong. See how Krossing doesn't just depict lawyers but stages them almost as caricatures. It's less about documentation and more about commentary. Don’t you think so? The light pencilwork gives the figures this airy, almost ephemeral quality. Are they real, or are they figments of someone's cynical imagination about the legal profession? Editor: Definitely. It feels like the artist is making fun of these pompous figures and placing them within what you almost perceive as a chaotic dream world, using the unconventional layout to enhance that chaotic feel. Curator: Exactly! And I wonder if the choice of lithography, allowing for multiple impressions, wasn't also a sly dig – implying that such figures, or perhaps the legal wrangling itself, is endlessly reproducible. Editor: That makes so much sense! I love that this work has an almost humorous, spontaneous quality but has layers of critical commentary baked into it. Curator: Indeed! It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be grand pronouncements. Sometimes, the most insightful observations come disguised as whimsical doodles. What a fun journey, Krossing invites us on. Editor: Absolutely. This makes me see the artist's sketchbook in a new light, a place for social critique as much as artistic exploration.