Illustration nr. 3 til "Visen om Dronning Dagmars ankomst til Danmark" 1863

Lorenz Frølich created this pencil drawing, Illustration nr. 3 til "Visen om Dronning Dagmars ankomst til Danmark", sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Frølich was a Danish painter, illustrator, graphic artist and etcher. The illustration is an interpretation of a traditional Danish ballad, a story told through song, and it speaks to notions of Danish identity and history. The scenes depict Queen Dagmar’s arrival to Denmark as a strategic royal marriage, an allegory of the power structures that defined her existence. It is hard to ignore the male gaze in this depiction of a female figure, her body turned towards the viewer, her face passive. Frølich’s artistic choices are steeped in the romantic nationalism that swept through Europe during the 19th century, shaping cultural identities and celebrating folklore. How might we view this artwork through a contemporary lens? The echoes of a society grappling with its identity are still heard, a poignant reminder of how art can reflect, reinforce, and challenge the narratives that define us.