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

This is H.P. Hansen’s illustration for Hans Christian Andersen’s “Under the Willow Tree,” from the collection “Fairy Tales and Stories, Volume 2.” It depicts a domestic scene of a family gathered around a table for a meal. Looking at this image through a contemporary lens, one cannot ignore the implicit hierarchies within the family and the broader society of 19th-century Denmark. The mother figure is actively serving, while the men are either smoking or being served, hinting at traditional gender roles. The image is reminiscent of the bourgeois ideals of family and domesticity, yet Andersen's story often unveils the hidden sorrows and inequalities beneath such idyllic surfaces. Hansen, like Andersen, was creating work during a period of significant social change. The narrative hints at the social issues of the time, offering a glimpse into the emotional lives of people navigating a world shaped by class, gender, and societal expectations.