En herre læser højt for fem damer 1810 - 1873

Wilhelm Marstrand created this pen and brown ink drawing, titled "A Gentleman Reads Aloud to Five Ladies", sometime in the mid-19th century. The composition is dominated by a semi-circle of figures. The gentleman on the left is juxtaposed against the attentive faces of the five ladies on the right. The artist has skillfully used line work to define form and texture. Note the hatching technique used to create shadow and volume on the clothing of the figures and the backdrop. The density of lines indicates shadow, creating a sense of depth. Marstrand uses line to construct a scene that speaks to both social interaction and the dynamics of representation itself. The act of reading, a form of conveying knowledge, is framed by the gazes of the women, thus creating a discourse on the reception and interpretation of information. The somewhat ambiguous and sketchy background flattens the space, creating a theatrical stage. This is where social roles are performed. Marstrand invites us to consider how art itself functions as a form of reading and interpretation.