Svigersønnen 1840 - 1843

Wilhelm Marstrand made this pen drawing, titled "The Son-in-Law", in Denmark, during the 19th century. Marstrand, who trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, frequently turned his attention to everyday life, as well as literary themes. Here, we see a snapshot of social relations and perhaps something of a class divide. The image depicts a negotiation between an older, stout man, and a younger, more formally dressed man, perhaps the "son-in-law" of the title. The woman looks on, passively. The artist is drawing upon a visual language of character types recognizable to his audience. The man on the left is wearing a high hat, the older man has a more folksy appearance. Marstrand, who eventually became Director of the Danish Academy, seems to be commenting on the social structures of his time, perhaps critiquing the institutions that he was himself a part of. To understand this work better, we could look at the popular theatre of the time as well as the structure of Danish society. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.