Portret van Anton Frederik Tscherning before 1879

Peter Gemzøe made this print of Anton Frederik Tscherning at an unknown date. Here we see Tscherning depicted as a military man. But he was also a politician, which gives this image a wider social and cultural context. Prints like this were popular in 19th-century Europe as ways of disseminating images and information. In Denmark, this engraving would have helped spread the image of Tscherning as a public figure. By showing him in his military uniform, the image emphasizes his role in the state. The very existence of this print tells us about the political culture of Denmark at the time, with Tscherning's image serving a particular political project. Historians can learn much from such prints. By studying images like this, along with archival sources, we can gain insight into the visual culture of 19th-century Denmark and understand the public role of political figures.