Saa stor 1861

Lorenz Frølich made this drawing, "So Big," using pencil and watercolor. It depicts a young girl with her arms raised high above her head. Looking at this image, we can consider the role of childhood in 19th-century Danish culture. During this period, childhood was increasingly seen as a distinct and important phase of life, worthy of artistic representation. Images like this, often sentimental, reinforced middle-class values about family and domesticity. Frølich, who also worked as an illustrator, was likely influenced by the rise of illustrated books and magazines aimed at children and families. These publications helped shape social attitudes towards children and their upbringing. To understand Frølich’s work fully, it would be interesting to research the history of childhood in Denmark. What were the prevailing social and educational theories of the time? How did art reflect or challenge these ideas? By exploring such questions, we can appreciate how this simple drawing is embedded in a complex web of cultural and institutional histories.