En fiskerbåd 1870

Curator: Right now, we’re looking at Laurits Tuxen’s "En fiskerbåd," or "A Fishing Boat," an etching dating back to 1870, residing here at the SMK. Editor: Ah, a quiet scene. The dark silhouette of a fishing boat, with what I presume are fishermen, against a lighter sky and water. Very peaceful, almost melancholy. Is it just me, or is there a real sense of solitude? Curator: That feeling is precisely what I believe Tuxen wanted to invoke. During this time, there was a growing movement in art and literature to portray the lives of ordinary people, particularly those connected to the sea. The fisherman's life wasn't romanticized as it is today, so his life could easily be hard and dangerous. Editor: It's fascinating how art responds to—or pushes against—prevailing romanticized narratives. This feels more grounded in reality. You see the labor, the vastness of the ocean they faced, without sugarcoating. Etching adds to that, doesn't it? The medium feels so appropriate for capturing that almost stark existence. Curator: Absolutely. And etching allowed for greater distribution, for it’s printmaking, to wider audience for social issues. It helped to elevate genre paintings in which artists show scenes of everyday life. These humble images of daily routines served as tools for greater societal reflection, to reconsider class and the individual in changing communities. Editor: Do you think that its placement within the SMK changes its reception for a modern audience, removed from those contemporary social debates? Now we often encounter similar scenes framed in climate conversations around conservation. Curator: That's an astute point. I feel we recontextualize history for a contemporary viewpoint, and in turn, bring our personal experiences and concerns into the artistic conversation. What would Tuxen think of that? Editor: Perhaps he’d find our eco-anxiety funny! Still, seeing a timeless human drama rendered so intimately—that never loses relevance, does it? Curator: Never. There is that persistent reminder that humans remain intimately interconnected with our environments. Editor: Well, I came to observe a simple etching. Now I’m contemplating man’s relationship with nature and society’s lens of truth through art. Not bad for two minutes. Curator: It is the unique gift that Tuxen offers to the modern-day spectator.