Slaget på Reden d. 2. april 1801 1802 - 1805

J.F. Clemens made this print of 'The Battle of Copenhagen' with etching around 1801. The image commemorates the British Royal Navy's attack on the Danish fleet during the Napoleonic Wars. Look closely at the plumes of smoke that dominate the scene, obscuring as much as they reveal. Consider how Clemens’s print contributes to a larger narrative about the War, the key players, and the spoils of war. The heroic subject matter suggests a desire to celebrate the Danish military even though the battle ended in defeat. The print is a formal statement of Danish nationalism amid political conflict. To understand prints such as this one, we consult historical sources, like naval records, diplomatic correspondence, and contemporary accounts, to piece together a more complete picture. The meaning of art is always dependent on social context.