Placing artists at the center of nineteenth-century Demark's dramatic
cultural, political, and philosophical transformation, this publication
explores their persistent national pride in a time of turmoil
Though known as the Danish Golden Age, nineteenth-century Denmark was
one of the most tumultuous periods in the nation's history--from the
disastrous siege of Copenhagen and the collapse of Denmark's monarchy to
the swelling tide of nationalism that eventually engulfed all of Europe.
This volume places artists at the center of Denmark's dramatic cultural,
political, and philosophical transformation by bringing together 90
drawings, paintings, and oil sketches by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg,
Christen Købke, Constantin Hansen, Martinus Rørbye, Johan Thomas
Lundbye, Vilhelm Hammershøi, and others. Five thematic essays by leading
scholars in Denmark and the United States explore the way Danish artists
manifested the pride, traditions, and anxieties of their nation; the
sea's ever-changing role as a marker of Danish identity; the evolving
nature of portraiture; nostalgia for the Danish landscape and folk
traditions; and the influence on Danish artists of their travels
throughout Europe.
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale
University Press
Exhibition Schedule:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(January 26-April 16, 2023)
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
(May 23-August 20, 2023)
