Portræt af kunstnerens hustru, Susanne Cecilie født Købke 1838

Christen Købke made this portrait of his wife, Susanne Cecilie, with graphite on paper. Though undated, it likely comes from the 1830s. As a leading figure of the Danish Golden Age, Købke captures the spirit of his time. Notice how Susanne's poised demeanor reflects the era's emphasis on virtue and domesticity. Her dress and hairstyle, while simple, adhere to the fashion of the bourgeois class, signaling social position. Købke’s allegiance to naturalism, evident in the tender, lifelike rendering, speaks to a broader cultural movement away from Neoclassical idealism and toward a more grounded representation of the world. This work prompts us to ask: how did marriage and domestic life shape artistic production? What role did women play in the cultural landscape of 19th-century Denmark? To answer such questions, scholars can consult family letters, period literature, and museum archives, unearthing the social and institutional contexts that gave meaning to Købke's art.