The Northern Drawbridge to the Citadel in Copenhagen 1835 - 1839

Christen Købke captured this view of the northern drawbridge to the Citadel in Copenhagen in an oil painting. Købke was part of the Danish Golden Age, a time of national romanticism after the Napoleonic wars. Købke focuses on the everyday, and the painting shows a quiet scene of people crossing the bridge, with a guard on duty. The red of the bridge contrasts with the calm water and the soft sky. Denmark was in a period of relative peace and stability, yet fortifications such as the Citadel embodied the ever-present possibility of war. The painting was made at a time when Denmark was transitioning from absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy. To understand the context, historians consult military records, political writings, and of course, the art of Købke and his contemporaries. These resources help to understand the relationship between Danish national identity, social change, and artistic expression.