Udsigt over et bakket landskab. 1842 - 1845

P.C. Skovgaard created this landscape drawing with pencil on paper; it is a study of a hilly landscape. Skovgaard lived during a time of great national romanticism in Denmark. This was a period defined by a search for a distinctly Danish identity, often reflected in landscape paintings that celebrated the beauty and tranquility of the Danish countryside. Although seemingly apolitical, landscape art was also influenced by underlying class and cultural dynamics. Skovgaard, as part of the educated elite, was creating these idealized landscapes which reflected the values and tastes of his social class. The peasantry, who lived and worked on this land, were often absent from these representations, or were simply romanticized figures. Skovgaard’s work invites us to reflect on whose voices are amplified and whose are silenced in constructing national narratives, and how these landscapes served to define a specific version of Danishness. While this work evokes a serene and timeless vision of Denmark, it is worth considering the complex layers of identity and history it represents.