Illustration til "Under Piletræet" i H.C. Andersen, "Eventyr og Historier", Bind 2 1870 - 1873

H.P. Hansen made this illustration for Hans Christian Andersen's tale "Under the Willow Tree." The black and white print captures the wedding of a young couple, surrounded by onlookers, with flowers scattered on the ground. Hansen’s illustration reflects the 19th-century Danish society's complex attitudes toward class and social mobility. The tale, like this image, is a window into a world where romance and social expectations were tightly intertwined, particularly for women. The bride's demure posture and elegant dress speak to the performance of femininity expected of her, while the crowd's gaze underscores the public nature of her transition into married life. The contrast between the well-dressed couple and the more informally attired onlookers also subtly hints at the economic disparities that were part of daily life in Denmark at the time. Hansen's image doesn't just depict a wedding; it encapsulates the hopes, dreams, and unspoken pressures that shaped individual lives within the broader social fabric.