Scene med to kvinder 1752 - 1833

This is a print by Meno Haas, made in Denmark, probably in the late 18th or early 19th century. It depicts a scene with two women in a garden. One woman is seated, while the other is offering her a basket of flowers. What can an image like this tell us about the time in which it was made? The clothing and hairstyles of the women are a clear marker of the period. The scene has a staged, theatrical feel. This could be related to the neoclassical movement, which looked back to ancient Greece and Rome for inspiration. Neoclassicism influenced not only art, but also fashion, interior design, and theatre. It was a cultural phenomenon that shaped the way people lived and saw themselves. To better understand this image, we might look at fashion plates from the period, or theatrical designs. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.