In 1844 Dalsgaard came under the influence of the art historian Niels Lauritz Høyen, who gave a famous lecture titled "On the conditions for the development of a Scandinavian national art" (""Om betingelserne for en skandinavisk nationalkunsts udvikling""). Høyen called for artists to search for subject matter in the folk life of their country instead of searching for themes in other lands, such as Italy (which was at that time considered a requirement for an artist's training). Dalsgaard was a loyal follower of Høyen's artistic ideals, and forwent the customary journey to Italy, choosing rather to concentrate on themes closer to home.