Still life with raven 1885

Hanna Hirsch-Pauli painted 'Still life with raven' during a time when women artists often navigated a complex tension: excelling in traditional genres like still life while seeking recognition in a male-dominated art world. Hirsch-Pauli, born in Sweden, spent time in France, and became acquainted with impressionism and the modern breakthrough. This piece stages an unlikely assembly of props on a draped table: a vase, flora, pistol, and black bird. The inclusion of the raven, a symbol often associated with mystery and melancholy, introduces an element of drama. Yet, the traditional still life objects and the dark colour palette convey an introspective mood. The decision to paint objects traditionally associated with masculine domains, challenges the gendered expectations of her time. How might Hirsch-Pauli have felt, navigating her identity as a woman in the late 19th century, channeling it into the canvas? 'Still life with raven' invites us to consider the quiet resistance of women artists who found ways to express themselves within and against the constraints of their era.