Illustration til "Hjertesorg" i H.C. Andersen, "Eventyr og Historier", Bind 2 1870 - 1873

H.P. Hansen created this illustration for Hans Christian Andersen’s "Heartache" fairytale. The story, published in the mid-19th century, features an old maid who adopts a dog, transferring to it all the affection she would have given to a child. The black and white drawing depicts a woman with distinct, almost exaggerated features, wearing a bonnet and a voluminous dress. She carries both a pug-like dog and a newspaper. The maid and her dog are visual metaphors for the emotional world of unmarried women in 19th-century society. While some women found freedom and agency outside of marriage, others experienced the heartache of loneliness. Hansen captures both the social commentary and the sincere emotion embedded in Anderson's narrative. The image presents a tension between caricature and empathy, echoing the complex realities of gender and social expectations of the time.