"Den nye Arion" 1852

Constantin Hansen created "Den nye Arion," or "The New Arion," using lithography on paper. This print captures a moment ripe with cultural and political undertones of 19th-century Denmark. Here we see a man with a guitar riding a large fish, an image that reimagines the ancient Greek legend of Arion, the musician saved by a dolphin. Hansen uses this classical reference to satirize a contemporary figure, Balthasar Christensen, who is said to have capsized on a 'fijnske Teg' (a type of ship) and was saved by a large cod. The image might seem like a simple joke, but Hansen's work often delves into the tensions between the classical ideals and the realities of modern life. What does it mean to be saved, and by what? Does it mean that any help is welcome, regardless of the source? Hansen leaves us to consider the dignity of salvation, and perhaps, the absurdity of it all.