August Bournonville

What you are looking at

This is a portrait engraving of August Bournonville, the legendary Danish ballet master, printed in the Danish illustrated periodical Ugeske Illustreret on 4–7 December 1879. Bournonville, shown in three-quarter profile facing left, wears formal 19th-century dress: a dark jacket with lapels and a white shirt with bow tie. His hair is gray and receding; his expression is stern and focused. The portrait is framed by decorative botanical elements—wheat stalks and flowering branches in the upper corners—typical of periodical illustration of the era. Below the portrait runs a substantial column of Danish text, indicating this is a biographical or commemorative feature rather than a simple portrait. The engraving style is precise and linear, with fine cross-hatching establishing tone and modeling of the face.

The dancing

This is a portrait rather than a depiction of dancing bodies in motion. Bournonville is seated and shown from the shoulders up. His posture is upright and dignified; his gaze is direct. There is no active dance gesture or choreographic content visible. The work documents the appearance of an individual rather than the execution of dance.

The dance depicted

This is not a dance scene but a portrait of August Bournonville (1805–1879), the dominant figure in 19th-century Danish ballet and the creator of the Bournonville Method. Bournonville was a dancer, choreographer, and ballet master at the Royal Danish Ballet from 1829 until his death, and is remembered as the architect of a distinctive Romantic ballet style emphasizing fast footwork, soft épaulement, and a grounded, energetic quality distinct from Italian and Russian schools. The engraving commemorates him as a historical figure rather than showing his work in practice.

How it was made

This is a wood engraving or steel engraving, printed as part of the Danish weekly illustrated periodical Ugeske Illustreret. The precision of the line work and the fine cross-hatching used to model the face are characteristic of 19th-century periodical illustration, where engravings were preferred for their reproductive clarity and ability to circulate alongside text. The technique allowed the periodical to reach a middle-class readership with both news and cultural commentary.

About this work

This engraving is a portrait of August Bournonville, printed in a Danish periodical in 1879, the year of his death. It documents one of the most influential figures in ballet history at a moment of commemoration. The work appears in a gallery of dance not because it depicts dancing, but because it preserves the likeness and historical moment of a choreographer whose method and aesthetic shaped theatrical ballet across generations. Bournonville's influence on technique, style, and the production of Romantic ballet makes the preservation of his image a legitimate record of dance history.

How to look at it

Observe the formal, dignified presentation: Bournonville is rendered as a figure of authority and cultural weight, not as a performer in action. The precise engraving technique emphasizes clarity and legibility—the portrait was designed to be read quickly by periodical readers. Notice the framing botanical ornaments, which lend a sense of classical dignity to what is otherwise a straightforward portrait. The accompanying text, though in Danish, anchors this as a biographical moment rather than a publicity image.

The artist

The engraver is not recorded. The work was produced by the editorial staff of Ugeske Illustreret, one of Denmark's leading illustrated periodicals in the mid-to-late 19th century. Such publications employed staff engravers and illustrators to produce portraits and news images, usually from photographic sources or written descriptions. The quality of the engraving suggests a competent, professional hand working within the conventions of periodical portraiture.

The period

This engraving was made in 1879, late in the 19th century, as Bournonville neared the end of his long career. By this date, Romantic ballet had evolved into Neoclassical and early modern forms in Western Europe, but Bournonville's Danish school remained distinct and influential. The periodical portrait reflects the era's appetite for illustrated biographical documentation of notable cultural figures. In dance history, 1879 marks a transition: the generation of Romantic ballet choreographers was passing, and newer aesthetics were emerging, yet Bournonville's method would prove enduring.

Where it lives

This engraving comes from the New York Public Library's collection of prints depicting dance. It was published in Ugeske Illustreret, a Danish periodical, Issue 114, dated 4–7 December 1879. The work circulated as part of mass media rather than as a fine art print or exhibition piece.

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