Fra Københavns Rhed 1897

Carl Locher made this print, "Fra Københavns Rhed," using etching, a printmaking technique involving acid, sometime in the late 19th century. Here we see the port of Copenhagen rendered in exacting detail, with its ships and gentle waters. Denmark was a seafaring nation, and Copenhagen a key trading hub, so it is no surprise that an artist of the time would choose this subject. But what might otherwise be a straightforward landscape is also a glimpse into the institutions of art in Denmark at the time. Locher studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and was part of the artistic community centered around the Skagen Painters. This group emphasized realism and plein air painting. By making a print, Locher was engaging with a medium that allowed for wider distribution of his art. To understand this work more fully, scholars consult historical records of the Danish art world, economic data about shipping, and biographies of the artist and his peers.