Stående vildsvin 1910

Vilhelm Bissen sculpted this standing wild boar, or *stående vildsvin*, from plaster in the late 19th or early 20th century. In Denmark at this time, the art academy played a central role in shaping artistic production and taste. Bissen, trained in the classical style, was part of a generation seeking to inject naturalism into sculpture, and his choice of a wild boar as subject matter reflects a broader interest in representing the natural world. This work can be seen as both a celebration of nature and a reflection of Denmark’s evolving national identity, rooted in its agricultural landscapes. The sculpture may seem to have a self-consciously progressive approach by depicting an every-day animal rather than an allegorical or historical subject. But it also embodies a conservative approach by depicting a creature in a formal medium that has traditionally been reserved for the grandest of subjects. To gain a deeper understanding, one might explore archival records from the art academy and delve into the cultural discourse surrounding nature and national identity in Denmark during this period.