Suite af skibe. Hukkert 1748 - 1831

J.F. Clemens made this print of a hukkert ship sometime in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. As a copperplate engraver working in Denmark, Clemens was deeply involved in the visual culture of his time, and the forms of state power. Here, the Danish flag flies from the stern of the ship, announcing the nation's presence on the seas, where so much trade and warfare took place. The ship itself signifies Denmark's maritime strength. Denmark's geographic location has always made it central to naval traffic in the Baltic and North Seas. Copenhagen became a major trading center, and the Danish kingdom extracted tolls from ships passing through its waters. Understanding this print requires us to look at the economic and political history of Denmark, along with the institutional history of printmaking. The meaning of the artwork is contingent on this social and institutional context.