En Marmorstøtte oprettet på Hirschholm 1741 - 1770

This engraving, *En Marmorstøtte oprettet på Hirschholm*, or *A Marble Support Erected on Hirschholm* was made by Johannes Gottfred Bradt sometime in the mid-18th century. It depicts a memorial that was erected in the gardens of Hirschholm Palace in Denmark. The memorial commemorates the tragic death of the two daughters of King Christian VI, who drowned in the palace moat in 1750. The use of the obelisk form is interesting. Often used to commemorate military victories or rulers, here the obelisk becomes a site of familial and personal tragedy. The anchor and dove, symbols of hope and peace, sit above the inscription, perhaps alluding to the complicated intersection of faith and personal tragedy. The emotional weight of the piece is palpable. Bradt's print is more than a mere depiction of a monument, it's a reflection on the ephemeral nature of life, and the public display of private grief in the context of royal life.