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

Curator: This is an illustration made between 1870 and 1873 by H.P. Hansen, titled "Illustration til 'Årets Historie' i H.C. Andersen, 'Eventyr og Historier', Bind 2." It's an ink drawing, and a print on paper, residing here at the SMK, Statens Museum for Kunst. Editor: Well, my first impression is…whimsical! There's this very serious-looking child, perched precariously on a stork flying over a rather meticulously drawn landscape. It feels both fantastical and grounded somehow. Curator: Exactly! This piece encapsulates the Romantic era's fascination with folklore and the power of imagination. Andersen's tales often explore social issues through allegorical narratives, so this image serves as a visual companion, subtly commenting on the story’s themes. Editor: I’m intrigued by the medium. The precision of the ink drawing, the repetitive process of printmaking. It suggests mass consumption—art designed to be disseminated widely. What did access to illustration like this mean for a reading public at the time? Curator: It was pivotal in shaping public perception and understanding of literature. Affordable illustrations made stories accessible to a broader audience. Consider also that reproductive prints such as this operated as commercial objects in the print market. Editor: Right. I also wonder about Hansen's artistic labour here, and Andersen's work too; each relying on and responding to industrial print technologies for its existence, production, and proliferation. And then thinking about the stork... Curator: The stork has clear cultural associations with the bringing of new life. Visually associating children, imagination and social commentary together like this allows for interesting interpretation. Editor: Looking again at the rendering of the stork itself— the careful hatching marking all of those feathers, for example— this kind of print demands attention. What can be achieved with basic materials still holds power today. Curator: A power harnessed in a time of great change, as social commentary, spread wide by new production methods. Editor: An interplay of social narrative, production, labour and imagination... Curator: Precisely, offering new insight into understanding the artwork’s function and place in history.