Artwork

Mergling af Vallekilde præstegårdsmark, i baggrunden Hankehøj

Mergling af Vallekilde præstegårdsmark, i baggrunden Hankehøj is a photography by the Romanticist artist Unknown. It dates from 1846 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

The scene looks like a quiet moment in farm work, with the land and animals as the main focus.

This photo shows a plow pulled by two horses on a dry, grassy field. A man sits on the plow, guiding it, while another person walks beside him. In the distance, a hill rises, and a few sheep graze near the top.

The scene looks like a quiet moment in farm work, with the land and animals as the main focus. This was taken in 1846, capturing a slice of rural life.

Next, check out the Museum of Ethnography to see more photos like this one.

Overview

The image titled *Mergling af Vallekilde præstegårdsmark, i baggrunden Hankehøj* depicts a mid‑19th‑century Danish agricultural scene. Captured in 1846, the photograph is part of the collection of the Museum of Ethnography. It records a moment of field work on a dry, grassy pasture, with a plow drawn by two horses and a modest hill visible in the background.

Subject & Meaning

A man seated on the plow steers the pair of horses while a companion walks alongside, suggesting coordinated labor. Near the hill’s summit, a small flock of sheep grazes, emphasizing the interdependence of crop cultivation and animal husbandry in rural Denmark. The composition conveys the rhythm of everyday farm life rather than a staged tableau.

Technique & Style

The work is an early photographic image, likely produced using the daguerreotype or calotype processes common in the 1840s. Its monochrome tonal range captures fine detail in the horses’ harnesses and the texture of the dry grass, while the shallow depth of field isolates the plow team against the distant landscape.

History & Provenance

Created by the photographer identified only as 1131_person, the photograph entered the Museum of Ethnography’s holdings at an unspecified date. Its preservation within an ethnographic context reflects the institution’s interest in visual documentation of 19th‑century Danish rural practices.

Context

The image originates from the Vallekilde parish, a region characterized by modest agricultural plots and gently rolling terrain. In the 1840s, Danish farms were transitioning toward more systematic crop production, and the presence of both plowing and sheep grazing illustrates the mixed‑use strategies typical of the period.