Initial til Frederik IV's Salvingsakt 1749

Odvardt Helmoldt de Lode made this initial for Frederik IV's anointment in the mid-18th century using engraving techniques. The image is full of symbolism relating to the divine right of kings. We see Frederik kneeling humbly, his crown laid aside, before an altar with a burning flame. Above him is a banner proclaiming ‘A Deo Majestas,’ meaning ‘Majesty from God.’ Lode, who was working in Denmark at the time, seems to be reflecting on a specific moment in the history of the Danish Monarchy. Absolutism was introduced in Denmark in 1660, giving the King near-unlimited power, which in turn influenced the design of royal rituals. The cultural codes and iconographic vocabulary of such images helped to project power and legitimize the monarchy's rule. To understand this image better, we can research the history of the Danish monarchy, the design of royal rituals, and the role of images in projecting power. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context, and the job of the historian is to investigate that context.