Hvor har du kunnet finde Vej herhen? 1898

Fritz Syberg created this pen and ink drawing called ‘How did you find your way here?’ in Denmark at the turn of the 20th century. It depicts a meeting between two figures in a landscape, a woman tending to plants, and a figure in a cloak, perhaps a monk. The image participates in the symbolist movement of the late 19th century. Artists such as Syberg looked to convey subjective emotion through imagery, often drawing on folklore and mythology. Here, the artist has used simple but evocative means to convey a meeting in a remote location. Denmark’s artistic institutions at the time were encouraging artists to engage with their national heritage and the symbolist movement provided a way for artists to visualise psychological themes through a connection to place. To understand this work, it would be helpful to know more about Syberg’s personal life, the literary culture of Denmark, and the influence of the Danish landscape on his artistic output.