The Dancing Glade at Sorgenfri, North of Copenhagen
by JUEL, Jens Jørgensen, Oil on canvas, 42 x 61 cm
At the end of the 18th century a new pastime became popular among the citizens of Copenhagen: outings to the Dancing Glade at Sorgenfri Palace north of Copenhagen. Here, the crowds would picnic, relax, and while away time playing games. Juel captures one of these carefree events.
The central motif is the woman in the swing, who introduces movement to the picture and brings the composition together. During the period immediately preceding this time, the Rococo, women in swings appeared in a great many paintings, always with a hint of eroticism as the skirts fluttered around their legs. Juel’s painting has no such erotic undertones.
As in several others of Juel’s pictures from around 1800, the landscape itself occupies a prominent position here.