Christiansborg Slot 1743

Johanna Fosie created this print of Christiansborg Slot in Copenhagen sometime before her death in 1764. As a woman printmaker in 18th-century Denmark, Fosie occupied a unique, and likely challenging, position in a male-dominated art world. This detailed rendering of the royal palace offers us a glimpse into the power structures and social life of the time. The grand architecture symbolizes the authority of the monarchy, while the figures populating the foreground— rendered in the traditional class distinctions of the time— hint at the complex social hierarchy. Consider the emotional weight of capturing such a monumental symbol of power. Was Fosie celebrating the monarchy, or perhaps subtly critiquing its opulence through the very act of depicting it? As a woman artist, was she making a statement by engaging with such an iconic and politically charged subject? The print invites us to reflect on the intersections of gender, power, and representation in 18th-century Danish society, and on the personal experiences of the artist who captured this image.