Allegori med Påfugl, siddende kvinde og en ung mand 1765 - 1833

Gerhard Ludvig Lahde made this allegorical print in Denmark, probably in the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts a crowned woman seated beside a peacock, offering a sprig of leaves to a young man. Lahde was a printmaker and bookseller working in a period when printmaking was becoming increasingly important for the dissemination of ideas. Here, the artist employs a visual language derived from classical mythology, but his specific allegory remains enigmatic. The peacock, a symbol of pride, sits beside a regal woman who bestows a gift upon a youth. Is this an allegory of wisdom, or perhaps a political statement about the transfer of power? The artwork invites us to consider the social function of art in the late Enlightenment. To understand its full meaning, we could research the artist's biography, study Danish print culture of the period, and analyze contemporary political events. Only then might we decipher its message and appreciate its role within the society that produced it.