Abstract

This talk explores the glacial watercolours and scientific drawings made by the Danish geologist Andreas Nicolaus Kornerup of the vast crevasses that form the glacier of Sioqqap Sermia (Frederikshåb Isblink) in southwestern Greenland. Carried out as part of an expedition led by J.A.D. Jensen onto Sioqqap Sermia in 1878, these field sketches are of particular significance not only in beginning to visually describe the geology of the area, but also in what they indicate about the glacier’s surface. Kornerup’s watercolours reveal the intriguing dynamics of glacial movement, giving a visceral sense of the glacier’s behaviour and topography. Previously used only as illustrations, these sketches might also indicate an interdisciplinary turn in art historical visual analysis. As such this talk looks further to the exploratory narratives, scientific studies, aesthetics, and environmental histories of Sioqqap Sermia’s crevasses that are made visible through Kornerup’s drawings.