Don Quixote betragter sin hjelm 1810 - 1873

Wilhelm Marstrand created this drawing, "Don Quixote betragter sin hjelm", using pen and brown ink. Marstrand, a 19th-century Danish artist, engages with Miguel de Cervantes' iconic novel, a founding work of Western literature. But why Don Quixote? Cervantes’ novel skewered the romances of chivalry, mocking the aristocracy through his delusional protagonist. Consider the social context: Marstrand’s Denmark was grappling with its own identity. After the Napoleonic Wars, Denmark lost Norway and was on the verge of bankruptcy. The image of Don Quixote, a figure out of step with reality, might have been a commentary on Denmark’s struggle to reconcile its past glories with its uncertain present. Was Marstrand critiquing the outdated social structures? Or was he suggesting that Denmark needed a bit of Quixotic idealism to forge a new path? To fully understand this work, consider the literature and political debates circulating in Denmark at the time. What did it mean to invoke Don Quixote in that specific moment? The answers lie in the archives.