Digteren B.S. Ingemann 1859

This is a sixty-centimeter plaster bust of the poet B.S. Ingemann, made by H.W. Bissen in Denmark. Bissen was a key figure in the Danish Golden Age, when artists explored national identity through romantic nationalism. You can see it in this bust through the dignified but informal rendering of Ingemann, emphasizing his role as a cultural figure. But this wasn't a neutral representation. The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where Bissen taught, promoted a specific vision of Danish art. Sculpture, like this bust, was seen as a way to elevate national heroes, reinforcing social hierarchies and cultural values. Understanding this artwork requires us to look at more than just the artist’s skill. We need to examine the institutions, cultural values, and political forces that shaped its creation and reception. By exploring archives, letters, and other historical documents, we can uncover the complex layers of meaning embedded in this seemingly simple bust.