En kvinde med kæp, som hun løfter mod to smådrenge, der skal til at slås

Nicolai Abildgaard created this pen and brown ink drawing, ‘A woman with a stick, which she raises towards two small boys who are about to fight’, during the late 18th or early 19th century. Abildgaard lived through the Age of Revolution, a period marked by radical shifts in social and political orders. His art often engages with themes of morality, justice, and social order. Here we see a scene of domestic intervention: a woman, presumably a mother, is stopping two young boys from fighting. The artwork touches upon the gendered roles within the domestic sphere. The mother figure, armed with a stick, steps in to enforce peace. The image allows us to consider the intersection of gender, class, and behavior within the context of 18th-century social norms. Abildgaard’s choice of subject matter offers insight into the values and concerns of his time, inviting viewers to reflect on the dynamics of power, discipline, and social expectations.