To børn og en kone skræller kartofler 1810 - 1873

"To børn og en kone skræller kartofler," or "Two Children and a Wife Peeling Potatoes," is a drawing by Wilhelm Marstrand. Though undated, we can understand this piece through the lens of Marstrand's broader body of work as well as the socio-economic conditions of 19th-century Denmark. Marstrand often depicted scenes of everyday life. Here we see a domestic scene, a woman engaged in the laborious task of peeling potatoes, assisted by her children. This image subtly speaks to the gendered division of labor and the role of women in the 1800’s, which often relegated them to the domestic sphere. The presence of children underscores the cycle of labor and family life. Marstrand’s work often romanticized such scenes, but here we also see the realities of rural poverty and the daily grind necessary for survival. It invites us to consider the emotional weight of these lives, the burdens and the bonds of family. Does the artwork maintain traditional representation or develop alternative narratives?