Der sad en Moder hos sit lille Barn... 1901 - 1902

Fritz Syberg made this drawing, "Der sad en Moder hos sit lille Barn..." with pen and ink on paper. It's a scene of a mother watching over her child, rendered with a dense network of lines. You can see Syberg building up form and shadow with this furious hatching. The marks feel urgent and raw, like he's trying to capture a fleeting moment. I really get a sense of the artist’s hand moving rapidly across the page. Look how the lines around the mother's figure almost vibrate, creating this feeling of tenderness and anxiety at the same time. The texture of the paper is visible through the lines, reminding us of the physical process of drawing. This piece reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker's drawings – that same focus on everyday domestic life and the emotional intensity of motherhood. Both artists were part of a bigger conversation about how to represent the world in a way that felt honest and true to their experiences. It’s like they’re saying, “This is what it feels like to be alive, to be human.”