Kong Lindorm 1911

Curator: This is Niels Skovgaard’s 1911 drawing, "Kong Lindorm," held here at the SMK. Editor: The texture! The ink bleeds with a haunting starkness; there’s such frantic energy. It almost looks like the scene is about to dissolve before our eyes. What’s the story? Curator: The scene depicts a folk tale—a king's son cursed to be a giant serpent until kissed by a maiden. Skovgaard taps into deep cultural anxieties and fantasies. He exhibited regularly at Charlottenborg and was very invested in folklore. Editor: It's fascinating how the pen strokes around the candelabra create radiating lines, almost haloing it, drawing attention to the supposed source of illumination. It’s an interesting compositional choice to amplify its relevance to the scene. Curator: Skovgaard’s engagement with national romanticism saw heavy critique, but the popularity of his depictions cemented folklore in the popular imagination. Think of the Danish landscape painters. They helped define Danish identity in that period, right? He is also engaging with the themes of nature and folklore, which were popular at that time. Editor: True. And the contrasting density of the lines really directs the eye. From the feverish background and dense carpet of... are those bones? ...to the relative sparseness of the human figure. Even the lines defining the Lindorm are tighter than those defining the nude figure of the prince, so he seems to emerge from the background haze rather than being central to the piece. Curator: Skovgaard's style embodies that turn-of-the-century anxiety about tradition versus modernity and nationalism. These artworks played a key role in solidifying and transmitting those values to the public. The serpent becomes almost secondary. Editor: It's this blurring that holds my interest: the figure seemingly unsure if they are fully separate from the legend depicted. An exciting interplay of composition and narrative. Curator: Yes, seeing how he positioned himself socially through art gives new layers to Skovgaard’s artistry, far beyond illustrative value. Editor: A stark contrast between fantasy and social dynamics! Fascinating!