Illustration til "Nabofamilierne" i H.C. Andersen, "Eventyr og Historier", Bind 2 1870 - 1873

Curator: Immediately, I am reminded of my own childhood fantasies. It evokes a sense of playful adventure. Editor: Exactly. It is a charming image. We're looking at a drawing from sometime between 1870 and 1873, entitled "Illustration til \"Nabofamilierne\" i H.C. Andersen, \"Eventyr og Historier\", Bind 2" by H.P. Hansen. It's rendered in pen and pencil, with a landscape orientation and genre-painting theme. Curator: I am intrigued by the duality in its symbolism: Horses wading in the water, two young riders; their passage representing freedom from restraint but moving directly towards home as well. I'm curious about the symbolism behind it. Editor: Hansen’s era loved a symbol! Notice how he used line work here; the dense thickets create visual barriers, but those elegant pen strokes render water as passable—navigable—the border that isn’t. It really speaks to a Romantic era tension between untamed nature and domesticated life. Curator: Absolutely, the way the horses wade into the pond or stream and a flock of ducks take it for granted. So calm, so innocent, it almost feels as though he wanted us to notice what's really natural within our homes. Editor: Andersen was an absolute master of juxtaposing fantasy with social critique, and I wonder how much of that spirit influenced illustrators interpreting his stories. I mean, Hansen might well be thinking of “home” ironically… as a space both safe and stifling. The water is neither clear, nor deep; but stagnant. Curator: Oh! Good point! Maybe, in wading into those murky waters we confront not just what’s familiar, but also what we’d rather avoid looking at closely about home itself. The eye always returns to the horse in front—white as bone. Editor: These kinds of illustrations create cultural memories. Hansen latched onto something essential. Whether it’s literal or layered, everyone connects with the symbolism. It’s something primal within. Curator: Yes, that makes the viewing more personal and unique, as if we are living within Andersen’s pages. Thank you for shedding light on what truly makes Hansen's Illustration worthy of its reputation. Editor: My pleasure! Now I think I see the old thatched cottage anew, as more dreamlike than home-like, as if to say “once upon a time…”