Nature and Imagination in Henrik Pontoppidan

Henrik Pontoppidan (1857-1943) is traditionally regarded as a realist and naturalist - an author rooted in the modern breakthrough's ideals of realism and artistic debate. Yet a careful reading of his work reveals another layer: a deep connection to nature, a reinterpretation of the religious, and experiences of "the Unconscious".

This lecture focuses on this strand in his authorship, with particular emphasis on the memoirs from the 1930s and the sources of inspiration that point toward a new understanding of nature. The question is whether it is precisely here that Pontoppidan speaks directly to our own time and its challenges.