Illustrationsudkast til H.C. Andersen, Snemanden (ikke anvendt) 1866 - 1867

This illustration draft by Lorenz Frølich, made in the 19th century, presents a juxtaposition of warmth and cold, life and stillness. In the upper scene, the sun blazes over a lively, ornate frame, enclosing a landscape with figures, while a stove stands nearby. Below, a dog lies dormant beneath a similar stove, evoking the comfort of domesticity. The motif of the hearth, central to both scenes, has appeared across millennia. From the Roman 'focus' to the medieval fireplace, it symbolizes warmth, security, and familial unity. Notice how Frølich contrasts this with the natural world: the sun and the dog, both sources of 'heat,' are distanced from immediate human comfort. Consider the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra, whose daily journey mirrors the sun's arc in Frølich's illustration. Ra brought light and life to the world, yet remained remote, much like the sun here. This distance echoes in the dog's slumber, a quiet, animalistic retreat from the conscious world. Such imagery taps into our collective memory, stirring a subconscious longing for primal sources of warmth and life. The cyclical journey of the sun, mirrored in the dog's rest, reminds us of the eternal return, the endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth that shapes our emotional and cultural understanding.