Det indvendige af den gamle hammermølle ved Hellebæk 1859

Constantin Hansen made this painting of the interior of the old hammer mill at Hellebæk in Denmark, using oil on canvas. Hansen painted this intimate scene of labour in an industrial workshop. How might we interpret the image? The visual codes are quite powerful here. The light from the furnace draws our eye to the two workers. The Hellebæk hammer mill itself, dating back to the 17th century, represents an important phase in Denmark’s industrial history. Hansen was working during a period of great social change, in which industrialization was shifting traditional class structures. Perhaps, by depicting the dignity of labour in a site of industry, Hansen comments on the social structures of his time. Or perhaps, by depicting the interior of a mill that was, by then, old, he makes a conservative comment about the value of Denmark's industrial past. To understand this painting better, one might explore Danish social and industrial history to place it in its full historical context.