Old Woman in Bed 1906

Michael Ancher made this painting, Old Woman in Bed, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. It’s rendered in a muted palette of grays and browns, which gives it a somber, contemplative mood. Ancher wasn’t interested in surface appearances here. He was more interested in what paint could do to capture the feeling of the scene. The texture is thick and gestural, especially noticeable in the old woman's face and the surrounding bedding. There are visible brushstrokes, swirling and choppy, as if Ancher built up the image layer by layer. See the way he uses the strokes to define the light on the woman's face, how the paint seems to almost sculpt the forms. The way the woman's hand grips the rope is particularly evocative. The lines are thin and almost fragile, yet there’s strength in the hold. This piece reminds me of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who also captured the quiet dignity of everyday life with such raw and honest emotion. It's this kind of vulnerability that makes art so powerful, I think.