Kompositionsstudie med en grædende kvinde på knæ, på gulvet et brev, bag hende en nonne 1840 - 1841

Martinus Rørbye made this compositional study of a weeping woman with brown ink on paper. The intimate scene shows a woman kneeling by a bed, a letter discarded on the floor nearby, while a nun stands behind her, rosary in hand. Though undated, this work was likely produced during Rørbye's time at the Academy in Copenhagen. Compositional studies such as this one were produced for the purpose of refining the artist's ability to use formal elements to create narrative. The emotional distress of the kneeling woman is emphasized by the way the nun towers over her, acting almost as a figure of the institution, looming over the individual. The cross hung on the wall signifies not only the comfort of religion but the oppressive social norms of the time. Understanding the social context of 19th-century Denmark, including its religious and class structures, is crucial to interpreting Rørbye's art. Museum archives, historical societies, and academic journals are all great places to start looking for additional information.