View of Dyrehaven 1838

Johan Thomas Lundbye made this ink wash drawing of Dyrehaven on paper in 1838. Dyrehaven, or "The Deer Garden", was once a royal hunting park north of Copenhagen. Lundbye captures a serene landscape populated by grazing deer. But this is not simply a neutral depiction of nature. Consider the context. Denmark in the 1830s was a kingdom undergoing modernization but still shaped by aristocratic privilege. Spaces like Dyrehaven served as exclusive retreats for the elite, reinforcing social hierarchies. Lundbye’s romantic naturalism evokes a longing for a pre-industrial, organic past, a sentiment shared by the Danish National Romantic movement. Yet, the very act of depicting it also opens up the space to broader audiences through art. To fully understand this work, we might explore historical records of land use, hunting practices, and the social functions of royal parks in 19th-century Denmark. Art history helps us see how landscapes are never just scenery, but reflections of cultural values and power relations.