The Bustling Amager Square, Cophenhagen 1932

Paul Fischer painted this view of The Bustling Amager Square in Copenhagen. The square bustles with fashionable people, cars, and a tram; St. Nicholas Church rises in the background. We might see it as an affirmation of Copenhagen's modern, commercial life. It was painted in 1932, in the interwar period. The visual codes tell of a changing society; the women’s short hair and dresses indicate a departure from traditional norms. Fischer, though, was a well-established artist, selling works through commercial galleries and art societies. He was not someone who would push the boundaries of artistic convention. He produced similar scenes of Copenhagen throughout his career. The subject of everyday life was increasingly popular at this time. The art historian must consider the institutional structures through which the painting was made and received. What were the social functions of art galleries and art societies in Denmark in the 1930s? The answers to those questions help us to interpret Fischer's work.