To Illustrationsudkast til H.C. Andersen, Pebersvendens nathue 1866

Lorenz Frølich sketched this illustration for Hans Christian Andersen's tale with pen and ink. Note the nightcap, a prominent symbol of domesticity and sleep. It marks the boundary between the exterior world and the interior space of dreams. We can trace this motif across centuries, appearing in Dutch Golden Age paintings, where families gather in candlelit rooms, secure under the watch of the nightcap-wearer. Yet, in Frølich’s image, it appears almost as a jester's hat, hinting at the porous border between reason and folly, awareness and oblivion. This duality is further complicated by the ladder: a potent symbol of ascent, found in religious iconography representing spiritual climbing towards enlightenment. But it also brings to mind the instability and danger of Icarus, whose wings melted as he flew too close to the sun. The nightcap and the ladder, both imbued with cultural weight, create a visual tension, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level and highlighting the cyclical return and reinterpretation of symbols across time.