Hammershus 1846

Curator: This is “Hammershus,” an engraving and graphite print created in 1846. The subject is Hammershus Castle, a medieval fortress on the island of Bornholm in Denmark. Editor: The sense of depth here is quite striking, and it's immediately melancholic. The dense foliage framing the distant castle really creates a theatrical stage. Curator: Precisely. That framing serves a clear purpose. The location of Hammershus has historically been of major strategic importance to the Danish kingdom, having seen conflicts from as early as the 12th century and well into the early modern period. The print, viewed through a Romantic lens, is far more than just scenery; it emphasizes Danish heritage and the symbolic weight of historical architecture. Editor: Agreed, it’s certainly more than a postcard. Note how the light catches the castle ruins while the foreground remains shadowed. This reinforces the Romantic notion of nature reclaiming civilization—the castle, as an art object, blends in with the organic textures of the trees and shrubbery in the lower half. Curator: Yes, and this viewpoint – chosen by the artist Søren Henrik Petersen – subtly suggests the ruin is both protected and being encroached by the land. The cultural significance is embedded within its material depiction. During this period, artists and intellectuals grappled with questions of national identity, looking back to medieval structures. They did this with nostalgia, but also a critical eye toward defining the present through an idealized version of the past. Editor: Thinking about technique, I’m intrigued by the stark contrasts in tone—the almost clinical precision of the engraving coupled with softer graphite rendering gives the whole picture a somewhat surreal, dreamlike feeling, in spite of its subject being a concrete castle structure. Curator: Ultimately, I would argue that an artwork like "Hammershus" helps us to better grasp the interplay between national narrative, political messaging and the aesthetic sensibility that shaped the cultural identity of 19th-century Denmark. Editor: Indeed. Whether viewing through a lens of material construction or Romantic symbolism, Petersen’s work provides endless fascination for a close visual study and larger historical questions.