Titelblad til "Beskrivelse over danske Mynter og Medailler i den kgl Samling" 1791

Frederik Ludvig Bradt created this title page for "Description of Danish Coins and Medals in the Royal Collection," employing engraving techniques. The print encapsulates the Neoclassical fascination with antiquity, presenting idealized female figures in a sylvan setting. One figure pours oil into a lamp, a traditional symbol of vigilance and enlightenment. The other figure is seated, engrossed in writing, surrounded by scrolls and a barrel, which could signify the preservation of knowledge. It's interesting to consider these women not just as allegorical figures, but also as stand-ins for the labor of historical record-keeping itself. In a society that often relegated women to the domestic sphere, their embodiment of intellectual pursuits is quietly subversive. The act of illuminating and documenting becomes a feminized space, challenging prevailing gender norms even as it upholds classical ideals. This image invites us to reflect on whose stories are told, by whom, and under what light.