Artwork Title: The Blind Girl

The Blind Girl, 1896-1898

Ejnar Nielsen

Ejnar Nielsen (1872-1956) is one of the most important representatives of Danish Symbolism. His artistic endeavors were closely linked to his conviction that civilization and urban life had an unfortunate impact on the individual. During the period 1894 to 1900 he lived in the small Jutland town of Gjern, where he painted the young girl depicted in The Blind. There is an intense alertness in the girl's listening stance, and she holds the dandelion head with great care. Thus, her other senses help her piece together her own inner image of the world surrounding her. The dark gown and the two rings on her fingers signify that she is in mourning for her loved one. With its combination of tender buds, flowers, and seeds, the plant symbolizes the cycle of life. The painter portrayed the girl against a stylized rendition of the hilly landscape around Gjern. The river meanders like a stream of gold through the Eden-like meadows where the sheep graze in pairs. The sky also shines golden in the dark landscape, as though it were a vision from the blind girl's own imagined world. (http://www.hirschsprung.dk/Image.aspx?id=14&col=5)
Uploaded on May 2, 2017 by Suzan Hamer

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