Den moderne fortolker 1860

Lorenz Frølich created this drawing, "The Modern Interpreter," in Denmark at an unknown date. It presents a man reclining in nature playing a flute to a seated child, surrounded by a garden of flora and fauna. The image plays with ideas about the artist's role in society, specifically the artist as one who communicates with both the natural world and with future generations. Frølich was working during a time of growing nationalism and evolving cultural institutions. He made many illustrations of Nordic mythology and history. Here, we see the artist as a conduit, filtering the world through his art for the benefit of the child, who represents Denmark's future. He is neither conservative nor progressive, but rather an essential part of Danish culture at a time of great change. To truly understand the work, one might delve into Danish history, literature, and the archives of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, of which Frølich was a professor.