Steensætningen i Frederiksberg Have 1763 - 1809

Editor: We are looking at Elias Meyer’s “Steensætningen i Frederiksberg Have,” dating from around 1763-1809. It’s an etching and engraving, depicting what appears to be a dolmen in a park. It strikes me as… wistful. The people seem small against the backdrop of this ancient monument and the trees. What captures your attention in this work? Curator: Wistful is a lovely word for it. For me, it’s the interplay between the grand, almost theatrical trees and the rather humble human figures. You've got this very deliberate romanticization of nature juxtaposed with people simply enjoying a day in the park. Makes you wonder what stories they’re spinning about the old stones. Don’t you think? Editor: I do! They almost look like actors on a stage. It makes me think about the stories we tell ourselves about the past. Curator: Precisely. It's like Meyer's saying, "Look! We’re all part of this ongoing narrative.” Even the dolmen becomes a character. I imagine visitors feeling a certain weight or connection, and he wanted to capture that. Almost like pressing a flower between the pages of history. What do you take away from it? Editor: It’s made me realize how much landscapes can be about history and memory, not just pretty scenery. Curator: Right? Suddenly those etched lines feel less like simple marks, and more like whispers of time, experiences lived, tales told… Editor: So much more depth in what looks like a simple print! Curator: Indeed! Art often rewards the patient gaze and the open mind. There's more in these delicate little works than first meets the eye.