Figurstudier fra Forbedringshuset 1832

Martinus Rørbye made this pen and wash drawing of figures from the workhouse when he visited Forbedringshuset in Copenhagen. The image depicts two guards flanking two inmates. The guards are in uniform and armed, while the inmates wear plain clothes and chains. This imagery speaks to the social conditions that shaped artistic production in Denmark at the time. The workhouse was a place for the poor and unemployed, and this drawing offers a glimpse into the lives of those who were marginalized by society. Was Rørbye making a self-consciously conservative statement about the importance of law and order? Or was he critiquing the institutions of art? Either way, the drawing prompts the question: What is the public role of art? To answer it, we can look at sources such as archival records, newspaper articles, and other visual representations of the workhouse. By doing so, we can better understand the social and institutional context in which this artwork was made.