Prinsen møder den lille havfrue 1903 - 1906

Editor: We're looking at "The Prince Meets the Little Mermaid," an ink and pen drawing by Lorenz Frølich, created between 1903 and 1906. It's a delicate, almost ethereal image, but there’s a definite tension in the encounter between the two figures. What strikes you about it? Curator: I see a visual echo of older myths—the mermaid as a siren, alluring yet dangerous. Frølich has tapped into a deep well of archetypal imagery. Notice how the prince's gesture is open, inviting, yet his stance remains somewhat hesitant, while the mermaid seems to almost recoil. Do you think that reveals a deeper anxiety about the encounter between different realms, between nature and humanity? Editor: That’s a great point! It does seem like they're each representing opposing worlds. I hadn't considered the prince's hesitancy, but it's very apparent now that you point it out. So, beyond the immediate fairy tale, you're suggesting this resonates with larger cultural anxieties? Curator: Precisely! Think about the historical context. The early 20th century saw immense industrial and social change. Fairy tales offered an escape, but also a space to explore these anxieties about progress and the unknown. The mermaid becomes a symbol of what’s being lost or threatened by that progress – nature, innocence, the feminine. She also may be a sign of a kind of nature "retaliation." How is Frølich building the scene to heighten this? Editor: The loose linework, the way the forest seems almost to encircle them, makes their meeting feel secretive and fragile. I appreciate seeing how this drawing pulls together so many layers of meaning. Curator: It’s a testament to how visual symbols work. They accumulate meanings over time and allow the image to speak on multiple levels, engaging our conscious and unconscious minds simultaneously. Editor: Definitely. I'll never look at The Little Mermaid the same way again!