Students leave to defend Copenhagen in 1658

Kristian Zahrtmann's 1888 painting of students leaving to defend Copenhagen in 1658 depicts one of the most celebrated acts of patriotism in Danish history. During the Second Northern War, when Swedish forces under Charles X Gustav reached Copenhagen and threatened to overwhelm the city, the students and citizens of Copenhagen mobilized in its defense — a popular resistance that became a foundational story of Danish national resilience. Zahrtmann's treatment connects his lifelong interest in episodes of individual courage under historical pressure to Danish national memory.

Zahrtmann stages the scene with his characteristic bold, saturated palette, using strong color contrasts to create the drama of departure and patriotic resolve. The students are rendered as individual types rather than generic heroes, giving the scene both narrative energy and human specificity.