Her klinkes 1861

Julius Exner created this etching, “Her klinkes,” sometime in the 19th century. It depicts two young men fighting outside what looks like a tavern, while an older man with a pipe looks on. We can read this image through the lens of social history, understanding it as a snapshot of 19th-century Danish life. Notice the architecture, the clothing, and the objects. They speak to the daily routines of ordinary people in that era. The presence of a tavern suggests spaces of social gathering and perhaps even conflict. What we might call 'pub culture'. But, crucially, the social role of art institutions is also at play here. Exner was associated with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, so we should ask, how did his training there shape his choice of subject matter? Did the Academy encourage genre scenes like this, or was Exner pushing against the institution's expectations? By consulting historical records, letters, and critiques from the time, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social context in which "Her klinkes" was created, and what it meant to its original audience.