Landskab med skov og eng 1845

Dankvart Dreyer, a Danish landscape painter, rendered this sketch of a forest and meadow with pen on paper. Born in Denmark in 1816, Dreyer came of age during a period of national romanticism, when artists turned to nature to express a distinct national identity. Dreyer’s landscapes are more than simple depictions of scenery, they reflect a longing for an authentic connection to the land. You can almost feel the quiet solitude of the Danish countryside. Yet, these landscapes were not untouched by social and economic forces. During the 19th century, land ownership and agricultural practices were deeply intertwined with class structures. Consider how the open fields might have been sites of labor, sustenance, and even conflict for rural communities. Dreyer's work invites us to reflect on our own relationship with the environment, and the hidden histories embedded within it.