Peder Lasson. Allegoriske Omgivelser. 1726 - 1757

Odvardt Helmoldt de Lode created this print, titled "Peder Lasson. Allegoriske Omgivelser," sometime between 1724 and 1757, using engraving techniques. De Lode, who died at the young age of 33, was working in a historical moment defined by the Enlightenment and its complex relationship to art. This print invites us to consider the interplay of power, knowledge, and representation through its allegorical depiction of Peder Lasson. Lasson, a figure of importance, is surrounded by symbols of justice, commerce, and the arts. The inclusion of classical figures and architectural elements evokes a sense of timelessness and authority, but it also highlights the era's reliance on established, often exclusionary, narratives. As we contemplate this image, we may ask ourselves: whose stories are being told here, and whose are being left out? How do these allegorical figures reinforce or challenge the social hierarchies of the 18th century? And what does it mean to memorialize an individual within such a carefully constructed framework of symbols?