To damer sidder ved et vindue og syr 1839 - 1911

Christian Rudolph Vogelsang created this painting, “Two Ladies Sit by a Window and Sew,” date unknown, now in the collection of the SMK in Copenhagen. Here, Vogelsang offers us a window into the bourgeois domestic life of 19th-century Denmark. The women are engaged in needlework, a common pastime that reflects the gendered expectations of the time. The inclusion of the clock and dog emphasizes a sense of order, predictability and stability. But what does it mean for a male artist to represent this scene? Is he celebrating it, or critiquing it? To understand the painting fully, we would want to know about the state of gender politics in Denmark at the time. We might look to archival sources, such as women’s magazines or political pamphlets, to understand it better. Remember, the meaning of art is not fixed. It shifts with the times and with the questions we bring to it.