Art historian Emil Elg, Ph.D., examines the Danish monarchy's connections to colonial history through works of art. The lecture explores images and representations showing how the royal family has positioned itself among exotic subjects and people of non-European descent throughout centuries.
Key questions discussed include: why the royal family wore jewelry featuring white elephants and depicted bare-breasted black figures, why Rosenborg and Frederiksborg castles display numerous paintings of Danish kings, queens, princes and princesses posing with enslaved African and Afro-Caribbean children, and the significance of the polar bear in the new royal coat of arms from 2024.
Emil Elg's research focuses on the contact zone between Danish art history and colonial history, particularly how Africans and people of African descent have been depicted in older Danish artistic practice.
Date: Thursday 19 November, 17.30–19.15
Location: Kunstmuseum Brandts
Price: 195 kr. Ticket includes museum admission on the day.
Registration: Through Folkeuniversitetet's website
