Notater vedr. Skipper Klement, afskrift af A. Fabricius "Illustreret Danmarkshistorie for Folket" 1932 - 1935

Curator: This is a piece entitled “Notater vedr. Skipper Klement, afskrift af A. Fabricius "Illustreret Danmarkshistorie for Folket," created by Niels Larsen Stevns between 1932 and 1935. It’s currently held at the SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst. What are your first thoughts? Editor: Well, immediately, I'm struck by the sheer density of text. It's a handwritten page, seemingly ripped from a notebook, crammed with meticulously rendered script and interspersed drawings. The texture and slightly aged tone of the paper also suggest a personal and historical artifact. Curator: Precisely. Stevns has taken a passage concerning Skipper Clement from Fabricius’s illustrated history and replicated it here. But he’s done more than just copy text; the composition includes watercolour, coloured pencil, ink, and graphite. What can we make of his chosen palette, these material components? Editor: Given your historical approach, I see this as an active engagement with national identity. The act of transcription is rarely neutral. The materiality also evokes the early 20th century while contemplating the medieval past of Skipper Clement and his peasant revolt, creating a layered historical reflection. What’s interesting is how Stevns uses these historical figures. He isn’t simply illustrating history; he’s making a statement about social unrest and revolution. Curator: Absolutely. Stevns himself experienced immense social upheaval during the interwar period, and this piece reflects those concerns, engaging as it does with themes of historical oppression and revolt. The messy, almost chaotic nature of the handwritten notes combined with colorful illustration could underscore the unruly, unpredictable nature of historical forces, in this moment of looking back. Editor: That resonates. It becomes clear that "Notater vedr. Skipper Klement" is so much more than a straightforward illustration or copy; rather, it serves as Stevns's intimate, layered mediation of the social narratives during his era. He is drawing attention to art as an ongoing reflection. Curator: Exactly, making the piece's ongoing presence today very rich. Editor: Indeed, very generative.