Illustration til "Halvhundrede Fabler for Børn" af Hey 1834

This is Martinus Rørbye's illustration for "Halvhundrede Fabler for Børn" af Hey, made with an unknown medium. Rørbye made this for a collection of children's fables, at a time when artists were increasingly exploring national identity through folklore. What strikes me here is the way Rørbye uses animal characters to convey human traits. We see two dogs in the foreground, a sturdy, confident one standing tall, and a smaller, perhaps more vulnerable one sitting. This dynamic might reflect the social hierarchies Rørbye observed, with animals acting as stand-ins for different classes or personalities. The setting, a simple farmyard, roots the scene in a specific cultural context, emphasizing the values of rural life and the natural world. In its simplicity, the drawing opens up complex questions about how we see ourselves and others. It subtly questions what it means to belong, or to be seen as different.