Søndag morgen 1871

Harald Jensen created this print, Søndag morgen, using etching. The title translates as "Sunday Morning," and it depicts an older woman looking at a bird in a cage. This image speaks to the social structures of 19th-century Denmark. Notice the woman's cap, her modest clothes, and her kindly, amused expression as she looks at the bird. There's an implied contrast between her confinement in the domestic sphere, and the bird's confinement in the cage. Is this a progressive critique of the limited social roles afforded to women? Or is it a sentimental image intended to evoke sympathy for the poor? As historians, we can consider how the artist's background and the prevailing attitudes of the time might have influenced the creation and reception of this image. Researching similar images and social commentaries from the period can offer further insights. The meaning of art is contingent on social and institutional contexts.