Den sleske kone. En kone taler indtrængende til sin gamle ægtemand og har armene om hans hals 1810 - 1873

"Den sleske kone. En kone taler indtrængende til sin gamle ægtemand og har armene om hans hals," or "The Sly Wife," is a small pen and brown ink drawing by Wilhelm Marstrand. The artist composes a scene dominated by linear hatching and cross-hatching, creating a sense of depth and shadow. The figures of the wife and husband emerge from this textured background. Marstrand uses line to define form and convey emotion. The wife's embrace, rendered with quick, confident strokes, suggests a narrative of intimacy or perhaps manipulation. This dynamic interplay of positive and negative space draws the viewer's eye, inviting us to consider the psychological dimensions of the scene. The tension between the figures, heightened by the dense network of lines surrounding them, speaks to broader themes of gender and power relations in 19th-century art. While the drawing’s literal narrative is accessible, the formal elements—the interplay of line and shadow—complicate any straightforward interpretation, suggesting the complexities inherent in human relationships.