Rejsedagbog 1845

Curator: Here we have Johan Thomas Lundbye’s “Rejsedagbog,” or "Travel Journal," from 1845, currently held at the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. It's a drawing offering an intimate glimpse into the artist’s observations during his travels. Editor: It's surprisingly intimate, seeing handwriting in a museum! The texture of the paper, the way the ink bleeds slightly... it feels immediate and personal. There's a stark contrast with the darkness surrounding the leaves. Curator: Precisely. Lundbye, deeply rooted in Romanticism, would have been meticulously documenting not just places, but his subjective experience of them. The paper itself—its manufacture, its weave—becomes integral. The craft binds this diary to Lundbye's artistic process. What paper was accessible and affordable impacts even how he documented these moments, especially in Northern Europe. Editor: So, the choice of a small, bound book itself is important. How does its form influence content and his way of working with light and shadow? There isn't exactly expressive freedom within constraints. It reminds me that diaries were tools for wealthy amateurs in a period of burgeoning travel and tourism, when the commodification of experience becomes big business. Curator: Exactly! Diaries are like the instagram posts of their time. This journal's content mediates his romanticization. His journey, chronicled through writing and sketching in such an accessible format shows what a day or a week of travel felt like back then, with this drawing speaking specifically about romanticized observation of nature. Editor: Yet the physicality, that feeling of flipping pages—totally absent in digital media—adds a crucial layer of experience, right? Its scale invites close inspection and careful analysis. I find that to be quite unique. Curator: I agree. By focusing on his mode of working with what was available for distribution at this time in society—a physical journal and the handwriting, drawing and Romantic style—we understand that Lundbye's intentions included appealing to the people that followed and financially supported his endeavors. Editor: Absolutely. Analyzing its design features is like having a close look at the nuts and bolts to fully experience its overall architecture. It adds a vital lens through which the art truly lives.