Ottard, Ebbes søn 1799 - 1802

Editor: Right, next up we have "Ottard, Ebbe's Son," a pencil and pen sketch by Nicolai Abildgaard, dating from around 1799 to 1802. It's currently at the SMK. I'm really struck by the sort of delicate, tentative quality of the lines – it feels very raw and immediate. What do you see in it? Curator: Immediate is the word. Imagine the artist's hand, almost vibrating with an idea he needed to snatch from the air. I see a soul grappling with heroism, myth… identity itself, perhaps. Isn’t it interesting how lightly he sketches the figure, as though daring not to press too hard on the page, fearful he'd break the spell. And that helmet…! Tell me, does it remind you of anything specific? Editor: Hmm… vaguely Viking-esque with the horns? But there’s something also Classical about the figure itself… Curator: Precisely! Abildgaard was fascinated by Norse mythology and ancient Greece, weaving them together like strands of fate. And note how the arrows point in two directions - both tools for protection and, potentially, violence. This dichotomy - peace and potential disruption, safety and aggression – does it offer a clue perhaps to the story he wants to tell? Editor: That’s a really interesting point. It definitely adds another layer to what I initially saw as just a preliminary sketch. It's like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment of internal conflict. Curator: Indeed. This isn’t merely a study; it's a distillation of inner struggle, a conversation rendered in whispers on paper. That one extended hand also adds another layer; what does he welcome us to? Editor: So it's more of an emotional or psychological study than a historical one, maybe? I definitely look at it differently now, seeing it as an intimate glimpse into Abildgaard’s process. Curator: Exactly. Art's a dance between then and now. The sketch captures then, but we make it live, now.