Hoved af kone med ikke bornholmsk hovedtøj 1871

Kristian Zahrtmann created this pencil drawing, titled 'Head of a Woman with a Non-Bornholm Headdress', sometime before his death in 1917. Zahrtmann, who never married and lived an unconventional life, was fascinated by outsiders. Here, he captures a woman whose headdress marks her as not from Bornholm, an island that was a center for Danish art at the time. The title subtly highlights the woman's otherness, inviting us to consider her position within the community. The delicate rendering of her features contrasts with the assertive declaration of her foreignness. The woman's expression is unreadable; is it resignation, defiance, or something else? The drawing invites us to contemplate the complexities of identity, belonging, and representation. It suggests a moment of quiet observation, yet it speaks volumes about cultural identity.