Fjordlandskab med robåd 1832

Martinus Rørbye made this watercolor fjord landscape with a rowboat. His approach gives us a window into the cultural romanticism of 19th-century Denmark. During this period, Danish artists turned to landscape painting as a way to express national identity and cultural values. They were influenced by Romanticism and the concept of the sublime. They depicted nature as powerful and awe-inspiring. This image also highlights the relationship between humans and nature, showing people as small against the grandeur of the landscape. It speaks to the importance of nature in the culture of the time. To understand this work fully, we look to travelogues, literature, and the emerging environmental politics of the 1800's. Art like this reminds us that its meaning is deeply rooted in the history, culture and institutions of its time.