The Deer Park. Study 1847

Editor: We’re looking at “The Deer Park. Study,” an 1847 oil painting by P.C. Skovgaard, currently held at the SMK in Copenhagen. It's a lovely, if understated, landscape. The scene feels so serene. What catches your eye in this work? Curator: What interests me is how this ‘plein-air’ study, though seemingly straightforward, participated in the broader cultural project of Danish Romantic nationalism. Skovgaard, alongside his contemporaries, wasn't just painting pretty landscapes; he was actively constructing a visual vocabulary of Danish identity. Editor: So you're saying that the very act of depicting this landscape served a larger purpose? Curator: Exactly. Think about it: the rising tide of nationalism across 19th-century Europe led artists and intellectuals to define what it meant to be “Danish.” Painting the specific characteristics of the Danish landscape – its gentle hills, its beech forests, the particular quality of its light – helped forge a collective sense of belonging. Skovgaard’s decision to work en plein air also emphasizes the authenticity and immediacy of the experience. Can you see that in this study? Editor: I do. It does feel like he wanted to capture an exact moment. So, were these landscape paintings used for propaganda or something similar? Curator: Not necessarily propaganda in the modern sense, but they were reproduced as prints and circulated widely, often accompanied by patriotic poems or songs. They served to educate the populace about the beauty and value of their homeland. Museums played a role too, displaying such artworks prominently to foster this sense of national pride. Editor: That's fascinating! I never considered how landscape painting could be so tied to national identity. It gives a whole new layer to appreciating it. Curator: Indeed. And it raises questions about the role of art institutions in shaping these narratives and how national identities are constructed and maintained through visual culture. Editor: Thank you, this has certainly given me a new perspective to consider for similar paintings!