For the first time, 25 of local artist Stine Florian's unique charcoal drawings are collected in a printed catalog that brings the faces of the past back to the present. Her portraits tell the stories of people who lived over a century ago and can be seen in a special exhibition at Geomuseum Faxe in the 2025 season.
A new catalog complements the special exhibition Stine Florian's Faces - Portraits from Kongsted and surroundings 1895 - 1921 at Geomuseum Faxe and maintains the experience of the exhibition's faces and their stories.
The catalog presents both the charcoal drawings and the short stories that bring the people behind the faces to life. At the same time, it gives perspective on Stine Florian's Faces in both art and cultural historical context.
Stine Florian grew up in modest circumstances and had a special ability to capture the fragility and strength of life in her portraits - from bourgeoisie to poor farm. Her portraits, which have been scattered in private homes for years and then collected by Faxe Kommunes Arkiveres, tell the stories of people who lived over a century ago.
'Unfortunately, we know very little about the artist Stine Florian,' says Marianne Rimmen Raasted, Archive Manager at Faxe Kommunes Arkiver. 'Florian's works have been appreciated locally and they have had great personal significance for the families of the people she drew. But because she was a woman, from the provinces and without a major art patron behind her, I think she has been overlooked in Danish art history.
"the artworks unfold local history"
In the catalogue, Lotte Tauber Lassen from Faxe Visual Arts Council draws interesting connections between Stine Florian's Faces and the portrait as a genre: 'With his portraits, Florian unfolds a special artistic discipline,' says Lotte Tauber Lassen. 'But portraiture is not only about mastering the technique, it is also an interpretive task. It's capturing the essence of another person, allowing the personality to shine through. When you look at Florian's charcoal drawings, much of their life is reflected in their eyes. We greet another person over time.'
The catalog gives local people from a bygone era a lasting voice that reaches beyond their own time. The portraits from Kongsted and the surrounding area are from 1895 - 1921 and the school teacher, the girl from the poor farm and the brewer behind Kongsted Brewery are just some of those drawn in charcoal with almost photographic precision.
I think the artworks unfold local history in new and exciting ways,' says the archive manager and adds, 'It is my ambition to write Stine Florian's work into history, where portrait culture also has its place, and I hope that Stine Florian's Faces not only provides insight into the past, but also inspires reflection on our own time and the people we share it with. Just think of all the selfies many of us are taking all the time.'
Stine Florian's Faces is a collaboration between Faxe Visual Arts Council, Østsjællands Museum and Faxe Kommunes Arkiver and can be experienced at Geomuseum Faxe until the fall holidays in 2025.
The new catalog can be purchased at the museum and costs DKK 95.