Portræt af Niels Andersen i Forballe. 1847

This is P.C. Skovgaard's 1847 drawing, "Portrait of Niels Andersen in Forballe," currently housed at the SMK. Skovgaard, deeply invested in Danish national identity, captured the likeness of Niels Andersen, a figure presumably tied to the Forballe region. During the 19th century, Denmark grappled with defining its cultural identity amidst political and social change. Skovgaard, influenced by national romanticism, often depicted landscapes and people that reflected the essence of Danishness. This portrait then is not just an image of a man, but a deliberate representation of rural Danish identity. Andersen’s gaze, direct and unyielding, invites us to consider the role of the individual within the national narrative. Skovgaard gives us a man both particular to a place, and representative of the Danish people. It serves as both an intimate study and a broader commentary on identity during a time of national self-discovery.