Indramning til et program? 1882

Curator: This pen and ink drawing on paper, "Indramning til et program?"—or, "Framing for a Program?"—dates from 1882 and is held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. What's your initial read on it? Editor: The contrast is really striking. The fine linework against all that open, undefined space. It creates a feeling of expectancy. And this use of framing is certainly not what one usually sees. Curator: Absolutely. Look at the clear depiction of the artist’s materials – the ink itself, the paper substrate – it brings attention to the conditions under which this object came into being, and encourages one to reflect on the labour involved. We also see a painter's palette with the ink-filled paint reservoirs which makes me consider the costs and labour of acquiring and importing these painting and drawing materials from afar. Editor: Good points, and what immediately strikes me is how the drawing itself suggests something about art institutions in the 19th century. It almost feels like a draft for the cover of a program, maybe for a theatrical performance or a musical recital. Curator: Yes, the blank area in the middle would accommodate text or a printed image perhaps. It feels utilitarian even though it carries this sophisticated aesthetic quality, but still a far cry from a mass-produced object. Editor: The image itself blends nature – look at the foliage framing the top – with artistic creation. The young artist nestled in the corner and her palette almost suggest artistic genesis in natural beauty. One gets a sense of an established visual culture that emphasizes both. The date etched right into the paper almost signals to me how imagery became more widespread with the advances of reproduction techniques in printmaking during this era. Curator: That link between art and nature… How the artist is drawing under the corner section – the boundary where the foliage sits atop the 'wall' or barrier as it were - raises questions of hierarchies. Is drawing the flowers considered less or more work than whatever might fill in the frame? Editor: Exactly. So it's really an image steeped in the conventions and expectations of the art world. It encourages a discussion of the social function of art, and its evolving role at a very interesting time in cultural history. Curator: Yes, reflecting back to me how artistic practice can only exist if it's supported by these structures that exist outside the act of creating in the studio! Thank you, that perspective is invaluable to appreciating the labour required. Editor: Likewise. The dialogue between materiality, purpose and production has offered a lens for exploring this captivating work.