Fotoreproductie van een tekening, voorstellende de klaagzang van Ingeborg 1879

This photogravure from 1879 captures a drawing of Ingeborg's Lament, a scene taken from Esaias Tegnér's popular 19th-century retelling of the Old Norse saga of Frithjof. The image presents Ingeborg seated on a rock, gazing forlornly out to sea, a bird perched on her shoulder. The turbulent ocean and rocky landscape evoke a sense of isolation and melancholy. Ingeborg is a passive, decorative figure, a stereotype of 19th century femininity. Tegnér's saga, which was published in Sweden, drew heavily on Norse mythology and medieval history. It became a touchstone for national identity. Artists like Ekwall helped disseminate these nationalistic images through reproductive technologies. To understand this image fully, one might consult books and articles on 19th-century Scandinavian nationalism. This is how we reveal art as a product of specific social and institutional forces.