At the start of the nineteenth century, J.C. Dahl (1788-1857) recognized the political potential of landscape painting. Firmly anchored in the discursive surroundings of the European cultural elite, from Dresden, he contributed to forming the national identity of Norway, his home country. Less well known is the fact that his work was also reflected in the protection of historical monuments and in journalism. As a painter, monument conservationist, and journalist, Dahl combined scholarly, topographical, aesthetic, historical, political, and mythological aspects with a Nordic and national discourse on identity.

The first German-language monograph on Dahl addresses the multifaceted work of this artistic personality from the perspective of the history of art and culture.