Illustration til "Snedronningen" i H.C. Andersen, "Eventyr og Historier", Bind 1 1870 - 1873

This illustration for Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," was made by H.P. Hansen. The black and white drawing depicts a seated angel. Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales are beloved, but it’s worth remembering that they emerged from a Denmark marked by rigid social hierarchies, where class mobility was limited. Consider the figure of the angel. Angels are typically understood to be genderless, but here, she is decidedly feminine. She wears a crown and has long flowing robes. While angels are considered benevolent, representations of them have been historically deployed to reinforce conservative ideals, offering solace while maintaining existing power structures. What does it mean to depict a figure that is supposed to transcend human limitations, through the restrictive lens of gender? Hansen's angel invites us to reflect on the narratives we inherit. It makes us question the stories we tell ourselves about purity, power, and the possibility of escaping the constraints of our own worlds.