Illustration til Henrik Hertz: "Spadsereturen" 1895

Hans Peter Hansen made this illustration to Henrik Hertz’s “Spadsereturen,” using pencil and charcoal. The sketch depicts a winged Cupid figure standing amid lush foliage. It evokes an Arcadian fantasy, a space of idyllic harmony between humans and nature. Hansen was working in Denmark at a time when the country's cultural institutions, like the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, were promoting a romantic vision of the nation’s past and the importance of folk traditions. However, the centralised emblem at the top suggests a different, more institutional, sensibility. While the image is rooted in a particular cultural and historical context, the meanings we take from it now depend on our own research and interpretation. By exploring the cultural and institutional histories that shaped this work, we can begin to understand its significance and appreciate the complex interplay between art and society.