Søstrenes påklædning til karnevallet 1870

Wilhelm Marstrand made this drawing, "Søstrenes påklædning til karnevallet," with pencil, pen and wash on paper. The composition is dominated by a flurry of activity centered around the women preparing for the carnival. The figures, rendered in delicate strokes and washes, seem to emerge from the light background, creating a sense of dynamic movement. Marstrand employs line and shadow to define the forms. The scene suggests a world of fleeting moments and shifting identities. The carnival, as a space of spectacle, allows for the disruption of social norms and hierarchies. This is reflected in the visual structure of the drawing. The drawing presents us with a world of dressing up and role-play where identities are not fixed but are open to reinterpretation. The sketch-like quality further reinforces the idea of a transient moment, capturing the very act of transformation and preparation. This artwork destabilizes established meanings and categories by presenting a fluid and transformative scene.