Dragoner på forpost 1804 - 1876

Edvard Sonne created this print, "Dragoner på forpost," rendering two dragoons on horseback in meticulous detail. Sonne, who lived through a period of significant national and political change in Denmark, including the Napoleonic Wars, presents an image that on the surface seems like a straightforward military scene. But it invites a closer look at how national identity is constructed through depictions of military service. Who are these soldiers? What do they represent? Their stoic posture and the vast landscape evoke a sense of duty and vigilance. The print is not just about the soldiers themselves; it's about the emotional and ideological weight they carry as symbols of national pride and security. In a time of shifting national borders and political ideologies, these images served to fortify a sense of collective identity, reminding viewers of the human element involved in the protection of the realm.