Skitsebog ca. 1868 1867 - 1869

Editor: Here we have "Sketchbook, ca. 1868," dating from 1867-1869, by Carl Thomsen. It’s a plein-air drawing using pencil, preserved at the SMK in Copenhagen. The landscape feels…intimate. Not grand, but familiar. What do you see here? Curator: I see a layered symbolism rooted in the very act of sketching outdoors. It’s not just a landscape, but a cultural artifact representing a shift in how artists related to nature. Consider the Romantic era's fascination with the sublime – overwhelming, awe-inspiring landscapes. This drawing subverts that, doesn’t it? Editor: Yes, it’s much more personal and less about the sublime. More about the artist’s own experience. Curator: Precisely. This act of sketching transforms nature into a personal narrative, infused with emotion and transient moments. A quick rendering preserves the sensation and memories. What feelings does that bridge in the distance evoke for you? Editor: The bridge creates a sense of human presence, but it also seems distant, almost like a memory fading into the background. Curator: A perfect reading! Notice, too, how the soft pencil blurs lines. This softens details and turns them into symbols. Each mark, however fleeting, becomes a personal memory that carries a collective history. It mirrors how we all piece together narratives. It seems Thomsen uses art to connect with place and memory. Editor: So, by sketching in nature, he captures something more than just what he sees? Curator: Indeed. This "Sketchbook" freezes cultural memory in pencil strokes, allowing future generations to access the natural landscape in a very unique artistic snapshot. Thank you; that was really insightful! Editor: Thanks for your guidance in considering new elements of personal narrative, which I will certainly bring into future viewings!