Den forfærdede skriftefader 1862

Wilhelm Marstrand made this pen and Indian ink drawing, “The Terrified Confessor”, in Denmark at an unknown date. The image depicts a tense encounter in a confessional, a sacred space within the Catholic Church. But instead of solemnity, we see a stark display of human emotion. The drawing’s power lies in its social commentary. Marstrand, working in a predominantly Protestant country, invites viewers to question the authority and secrecy of the Catholic confessional. The startled expression of the confessor, juxtaposed with the distressed penitent, suggests an imbalance of power and perhaps even a critique of the institution itself. Is this a comment on the social structures of its time? To truly understand this piece, we can delve into the history of religious institutions and the societal norms of 19th-century Denmark. Historical archives, religious texts, and studies of Danish society would all shed further light on the dialogue at play in this drawing. It’s through this kind of research that the artwork comes alive.