"Troldmandens Laterna Magica" Nr. 1 1787

H.L.S. Winding created this print, "The Wizard's Magic Lantern No. 1," sometime between 1750 and 1831, using an engraving technique. It resides here at the Statens Museum for Kunst. This image offers a fascinating look at the intersection of science, spectacle, and social control in late 18th and early 19th century Europe. Magic lanterns, like the one depicted, were early image projectors, used for both entertainment and education. The wizard figure, however, suggests a deliberate blurring of the lines between genuine knowledge and illusion. Made in Denmark, it’s hard not to see this as a commentary on the Enlightenment era’s fascination with reason and the scientific method. But it also reveals how easily such tools could be used to manipulate public opinion. The projected figures evoke ideas about morality. Were they meant to enlighten, or to control the masses through spectacle? Understanding this image fully requires looking into the history of science education and the anxieties surrounding the manipulation of knowledge.