Illustration til "En Historie" i H.C. Andersen, "Eventyr og Historier", Bind 2 1870 - 1873

Curator: Looking at this print, I'm struck by its intimacy. It's called "Illustration til \"En Historie\" i H.C. Andersen, \"Eventyr og Historier\", Bind 2" by H.P. Hansen, created sometime between 1870 and 1873. It’s an engraving, residing here at the SMK. Editor: That title! Brevity was not their forte, was it? Immediately, I feel the weight of sorrow here, like a silent scream caught in ink. It reminds me a bit of early photographs – all that contained emotion ready to burst. Curator: It's definitely loaded. Consider the visual language: the weeping man shielding his face, contrasted with the woman, kneeling, eyes upturned in prayer. It taps into this romantic era’s vision of suffering and resilience. The bed—such a personal space—becomes the stage for this profound moment. Editor: Absolutely. The domestic drama unfolds right there. But the lines, they almost vibrate with anguish, particularly in the man's posture. He's practically collapsing inward, whereas her figure is this strong, almost defiant pillar. Curator: The artist certainly uses the figures' body language to emphasize contrasting coping mechanisms. We see echoes of pietà imagery – the suffering soul seeking solace. Prayer, in that context, is as much a political act as a spiritual one, signaling resistance, perhaps. Editor: Or just sheer desperation? The details, they matter, too. Look at how Hansen renders the woman's head covering – almost saintly in its placement, against the man's disheveled hair. And that rigid background linework suggests something harsh pressing in, circumstances bearing down. Curator: The piece undeniably layers those themes. It offers viewers a very particular historical glimpse into faith and grief—into archetypes really. But how those symbols were read then versus now might be worlds apart. Editor: True. We filter through our own biases, inevitably. But something this raw… It bypasses temporal context. I recognize that feeling; that plea echoing from the bed, even now. Makes you wonder what story that "En Historie" actually told, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed. Each mark invites you to consider your own narratives of hope and despair. The visual echoes never truly fade, do they? Editor: Nope. They just resonate a little differently through time. Powerful little piece.