Bygholm ved Horsens 1822

Søren L. Lange created this print of Bygholm ved Horsens using engraving and etching. Lange’s lifetime spanned a period of immense social upheaval as old aristocratic structures gave way to more democratic structures. Here we see an idealized depiction of the Danish countryside, where deer graze peacefully near the Bygholm estate. This is a romantic vision of nature, but one that implicitly masks the labor and social hierarchies that underpinned such estates. The lack of human figures points to the absence of those who worked the land, those whose identities were intricately woven into this landscape. This print subtly reflects the tension between the desire to preserve the past and the inevitable march toward modernity. While celebrating the beauty of the Danish landscape, Lange's work invites us to reflect on the stories that remain untold. It leaves us with an uneasy sense of longing for an idyllic past.