En moder leger med sit barn, der griber efter et æble 1743 - 1809

Curator: Immediately I’m struck by the tenderness of this scene, a quiet domestic moment. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is "A Mother Playing with Her Child Who is Grabbing for an Apple," a pen and ink drawing by Nicolai Abildgaard, dating roughly between 1743 and 1809. It currently resides in the collection of the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. Curator: It’s interesting to consider the production of this work. The intimacy suggests this wasn't necessarily commissioned. Was this perhaps more of a personal study? Look at the way Abildgaard used ink wash to model form and suggest drapery; it feels both deliberate and spontaneous. Editor: It reflects a broader interest in genre scenes that emerged in this period. We often view Abildgaard through the lens of neoclassicism, considering his significant impact on Danish painting, but drawings like this remind us of the emerging romantic sensibilities, focusing on emotion and the everyday experiences. Museums, during Abildgaard’s lifetime, were really starting to champion history paintings of virtue. So a mother and child image departs from his epic artworks. Curator: Yes, you can see a softer style here, focusing on line work and tonal variations, it is interesting that Abildgaard is more celebrated for oil paintings but that he was a Master Draughtsman as this work here proofs. Thinking about his materials: paper, pen, ink – simple, accessible tools – emphasizing a hands-on approach to creation and moving away from a glorification of just painting, an aesthetic hierarchy. Editor: The ambiguity in the unfinished sketch on the right gives pause to the question of intention. It seems Abildgaard was reflecting on classic portraiture conventions—the partially completed head resembles Greek sculpture busts, a staple for artists and connoisseurs in the late 18th Century. It may underscore the elevated status that mothers in society during his lifetime enjoyed and also questions it. Curator: I appreciate seeing a master artist exploring such universal themes of motherhood and childhood. It brings a relatable human touch to his oeuvre. Editor: It's fascinating how an image focusing on materials and process and another focusing on a socio-historical perspective reveal layers of insight into this deceptively simple drawing.