Rejsedagbog 1845

Curator: Here we have "Rejsedagbog," or "Travel Journal" by Johan Thomas Lundbye, created around 1845. It’s a delicate work in ink and pencil on paper, currently held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: The script is really striking; dense, close, and somehow frantic – a little caged in by the edges of the paper. Like captured thoughts. Curator: It certainly offers an immediacy that invites speculation, like overhearing a fascinating conversation in a café. I'm drawn to the intimacy a handwritten journal offers; it's almost voyeuristic. The romantic notion of a journey, and this very personal account of it. Lundbye was a Romantic painter known for his landscapes, so perhaps this journal contains notes and sketches from his travels that led to some paintings? Editor: Absolutely, I am very taken by how everyday symbols become emotional landmarks along that journey. Just glancing, there's mentions of food, places, even descriptions of people he sees, so that even without understanding the specific words we still gain a sense of being an active participant in the flow of his life. It makes me consider how much any simple item, even something like a parasol or a particular cup of coffee, can crystallize our memory. Curator: Yes, I like that very much, and of course he mentions Kunstneren—"the artist"—perhaps talking about his practice, about things he finds to be fruitful or inspirational to his art-making. These notes can offer us a clue to his internal working process as an artist. Editor: And I imagine the act of writing was itself an essential part of the artistic process at the time. The penmanship, the specific weight or pressure he applies to the quill creates distinct visual echoes that act as both inscription and emotional mark making. Each word a tiny map leading somewhere… Curator: So much left to unpack here. Every read, every new look at this particular image seems to lead to some other story, other point of consideration and imagination. Editor: Right, like one single page holds multiple voyages, visible and invisible all at once! A powerful effect.