A Victorious Danish Soldier 1850 - 1851

This is H.W. Bissen's "A Victorious Danish Soldier," a sculpture rendered in a pale stone, perhaps marble. Here, the soldier stands in the glory of triumph; a sprig of leaves or flowers is held aloft in his right hand, while his left firmly grasps his rifle. His right foot rests upon a cannon, a classical trope of victory. These motifs ripple through time: the raised hand, a gesture seen in ancient Roman art, signifies power, while the sprig held aloft is a symbol of peace, of civilization, emerging from conflict. We see echoes of this in Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People; a raised arm becomes a beacon of revolution. The sprig, too, finds iterations, evolving into laurels, palms, and other symbols of honor, signifying a return to harmony. Consider how these symbols are internalized; the victorious soldier represents not just military might but the collective subconscious desire for peace after struggle. These visual ideas—of dominance and resolution—resonate across epochs, revealing our shared psychological landscape.