Vinter 1811 - 1813

Curator: This print is titled "Vinter," or "Winter," and was created by Oluf Olufsen Bagge between 1811 and 1813. The engraving offers a striking example of Romantic landscape art, and it currently resides here at the SMK, the Statens Museum for Kunst. What's your initial impression? Editor: Bleak. Intensely lonely. The figure seems utterly isolated against the skeletal tree and a fire that provides so little warmth against… everything. The print work is incredible, so detailed and stark. It’s compelling. Curator: Bagge created this print during a period of immense social and political upheaval in Denmark. Considering Romanticism’s obsession with the individual's experience in nature, what cultural narratives might "Vinter" be tapping into? The piece clearly links the season of winter to both physical hardship and themes of national hardship. Editor: The fire could act as the inner spark of survival and the perseverance in harsh conditions. Winter is not just a season here; it represents resilience during struggle and isolation, which I think resonated strongly in this region at this moment in history. There are more primitive iconographies and connections to nature that mirror humanity in some form, you see it across cultures. Curator: Precisely! This resonates with current discussions of Nordic identity. A narrative of resilience. Survival in harsh conditions—perhaps even chosen conditions, for greater personal understanding. Editor: It also raises issues of resource and survival during harsh seasons, which have particular echoes today. Do you think it challenges the romanticization by forcing a deeper look at survival? Curator: Perhaps. By illustrating an isolated figure, Bagge invites consideration for the conditions under which identity is tested. Also the symbolism within winter landscapes could easily parallel many periods of disruption—perhaps what is romantic here, the power, or fear, in solitude. Editor: I think it might do both, but with more depth. Thank you, it offers even more dimensions now. Curator: Thank you, it's a lens to consider national and individual grit. I appreciate the look into winter iconography as well.