Prøvetryk til Chr. Winthers A.B.C. 1863

This is a printer's proof by H.P. Hansen, made for Christian Winther's ABC, though the date is unknown. The print depicts an elephant, ridden by a man with a spear, while another man carrying a rifle walks alongside. This image invites questions about Denmark's colonial fantasies during the 19th century. Consider the visual codes employed here. The exoticized landscape, complete with palm trees and rugged terrain, constructs a vision of the "Orient". The armed men suggest domination, and the elephant serves as a symbol of exotic conquest. In 19th-century Denmark, a country without colonies, such images were powerful tools of imagination. They fueled a vicarious sense of imperial power and shaped public perceptions of faraway lands and peoples. Further research into Winther's ABC book, Danish visual culture, and the history of colonialism can contextualize this image and its intended audience.