Illustration til O. Specter, "Fabler for Børn" 1838

This illustration for O. Specter’s “Fabler for Børn” was made by Vilhelm Kyhn in nineteenth-century Denmark. The image depicts a boy reaching for fruit in a tree, while a monkey sits above him, also picking fruit. It’s important to remember that children’s literature in Kyhn’s time was didactic, aiming to instill moral lessons. Here, the exotic monkey may signify a certain foreignness, or the perils of selfishness. Note that the boy is reaching up towards the monkey, who has privileged access to the fruit. The fable may therefore speak to the era’s class dynamics and aspirations. The artwork’s presence in the Statens Museum for Kunst speaks to the rising status of children’s illustration as a valued art form. To fully understand this image, we might consult not just art historical texts, but also period literature and social histories of nineteenth-century Denmark. By understanding the institutions and social conditions in which art is made, we are better able to understand its meanings.