Køer og gæs ved Nyværk på Saltholm (udkast til dekoration af punchebolle) 1893

Theodor Philipsen sketched ‘Cows and Geese at Nyværk on Saltholm’ as a draft for a punch bowl decoration. Philipsen, painting in the late 19th and early 20th century, was deeply involved with capturing rural life and landscapes during a time of significant social and economic change in Denmark, including the rise of industrialization. The watercolor work is seemingly simple, yet consider the context of agrarian life which was crucial to the national identity of Denmark. The depiction of cows and geese wasn't merely bucolic, but rather an acknowledgment of the labor, and the integration of humans, animals and land. The art emphasizes the natural world and hints at a time when Denmark's identity was closely tied to its agricultural roots, even as urban life and industrialization began to take hold. Philipsen invites us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world and rural past.