Rejsedagbog 1845

This is a page from Johan Thomas Lundbye’s travel journal, undated, and held at the SMK. Within this intimate script, let us consider the act of writing itself as a potent symbol. The written word, etched onto the page, echoes the ancient practice of inscription. Think of Egyptian hieroglyphs or the tablets of Mesopotamia. In these early forms, writing was not merely communication; it was imbued with magical and religious power. Lundbye’s journal, filled with personal reflections and observations, carries its own kind of magic. The act of recording his experiences transforms fleeting moments into something permanent, a way to capture and preserve his memories. This impulse to record, to document, stems from a deep human desire to make sense of the world and our place within it. It is as if, by writing, we are attempting to hold onto something that would otherwise slip away. This reminds us of a primal, psychological need to impose order on the chaos of experience, and, in so doing, to transcend the limitations of time itself. The non-linear progression of this symbol reminds us how humans are in a constant quest to find meaning and connection through time.