Lignelsen om den store nadver 1860s

Wilhelm Marstrand sketched "Lignelsen om den store nadver" using pen and brown ink. The composition immediately draws us into a space defined by strong horizontal and vertical lines, creating a stage-like setting. The contrast between the detailed foreground and the sketched background adds depth, emphasizing the parable's setting. The architecture of the arches functions as a visual metaphor, framing scenes of social exclusion and invitation. The figures on the left, seated at a banquet, are sharply delineated, while the background is more atmospheric. Marstrand uses line and form to create a visual hierarchy. The work can be viewed through the lens of semiotics. Each element – the banquet, the architecture, the characters – serves as a sign. The artist invites us to question the social structures represented. The use of simple lines and the absence of colour direct our focus to the composition's underlying structure, and how the artist uses form to convey meaning.