Tre marineskibe med danske flag. Åredrevne 1746 - 1828

These are three marine ships with Danish flags, made by C.A. Lorentzen, a painter active during a tumultuous time of revolution and shifting national identities. At first glance, the image might appear as a straightforward depiction of naval vessels. However, the Danish flags fluttering atop each ship invite us to consider the symbolic weight they carried during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These were times when national identity was being forged and contested through wars and political upheaval. Who was seen to belong, who was excluded, and what did it mean to pledge allegiance to a flag? Consider the bodies that powered these vessels. The rows of oars suggest the labor of countless individuals, possibly conscripted or enslaved, whose stories remain largely untold. What were their hopes, fears, and experiences as they propelled these symbols of national power across the water? This image invites us to reflect on the complex interplay between national pride, maritime power, and the human cost of empire.