Dronning Dagmars ankomst til Danmark 1880s

Adolph Kittendorff created this print, "Queen Dagmar's Arrival in Denmark," during a period of heightened national romanticism in Denmark. Queen Dagmar, who arrived in Denmark in 1205, was the Bohemian princess Margaret of Bohemia. She married King Valdemar II and became a popular figure in Danish history, celebrated for her beauty, kindness, and as a symbol of an ideal queen. The narrative Kittendorff illustrates participates in the construction of national identity through its idealized depiction of the past. It is interesting to consider how the image portrays Dagmar as a figure of both power and submission. While she is central to the scene, her agency is limited; she is being received and guided, her identity subsumed into the role of queen. How much does this image invite us to reconsider the narratives we construct around historical figures? How might it shape or reflect societal views on gender, power, and national identity?