Prøveblad med fodfolk 1795 - 1854

Curator: This line drawing is called "Prøveblad med fodfolk," which translates to "Test sheet with infantry." It’s attributed to N.B. Krossing and was likely created sometime between 1795 and 1854, using lithography, pencil, and ink. Editor: Immediately I'm struck by how disparate these figures feel! It’s like a catalogue of soldiers through different eras, haphazardly placed on the same plane. A really curious assembly, almost like theater. Curator: Indeed. And perhaps intentionally so. The arrangement has a sense of historical pastiche; you see figures representing vastly different periods. We must consider the role military imagery plays in constructing national identity. Krossing could well be using recognizable tropes of Danish military history to engage his audience, prompting reflection. Editor: Yes, it certainly presents history as performance. There’s an interesting interplay between the solid lines that give them form and this almost ethereal quality produced by leaving a stark empty background. A floating harlequin leaps overhead; is that symbolic of the chaotic unpredictability of war itself? Or, perhaps, Krossing's sardonic perspective of militarism and authority? Curator: The figure's prominence could very well be hinting at a larger narrative – perhaps even suggesting a commentary on the changing nature of power and representation. Given its likely historical moment, just after the Napoleonic Wars and as Denmark was grappling with its own identity and shifting power, a chaotic jester may very well highlight its precarity. It definitely clashes with the stiff and composed composure the rest strive for. Editor: And the artistic choices! The lines themselves, sharp and clear, do give weight to the soliders yet in contrast to the bare composition and scattered layout produce a quality of fragility. Almost as if military pomp is a carefully constructed façade that can, at any time, be revealed as an elaborate and meaningless costume parade. The overall effect becomes not glorification but questioning. Curator: Ultimately, Krossing invites us to look deeper, past the surface-level portrayals and consider what it really means to carry on traditions of heroism. Editor: It really exemplifies how effective art can subtly influence one’s perception, making this piece about the role of visual iconography.