The Garden Steps Leading to the Painter Christen Købke's Studio at Blegdammen, Copenhagen 1844

Frants Bøe painted “The Garden Steps Leading to the Painter Christen Købke’s Studio at Blegdammen, Copenhagen” using oil on canvas. The image is of a studio, a space of artistic production. Look closely and you see it’s also a domestic space, as indicated by the figure, a woman, on the steps. The painting blurs the lines between private and public, work and home. Painted in Denmark in the mid-19th century, this reflects a time when the role of the artist was being redefined. Was he a craftsman, a member of the bourgeoisie, or something else? Bøe’s painting offers a glimpse into the artistic and social circles of Copenhagen, a city undergoing rapid transformation. The work invites us to consider how artists negotiate their place within changing social structures. To understand this painting better, we might delve into exhibition reviews and artists’ correspondence from the time to reveal the values and debates around art's public role.