Bønder kører tang 1885

Carl Locher made this etching, "Farmers Collecting Seaweed," in 1885. The scene depicts farmers harvesting seaweed in Denmark, a common practice on the coasts. The seaweed was a valuable resource, used as fertilizer and animal feed. Locher's choice of subject matter reflects a broader artistic interest in rural life and labor that emerged in the 19th century. The image romanticizes agrarian life, but it also acknowledges the difficult labor involved. The presence of ships in the background hints at the increasing industrialization and global trade that was transforming Danish society at the time. Locher's work, therefore, exists within a complex tension between tradition and modernity. As art historians, we can use sources such as agricultural records, economic data, and personal accounts to understand the artwork in its specific historical context. Art becomes a window into understanding the economic and social conditions that shaped the lives of ordinary people.