Ved brønden uden for landsbyen 1810 - 1873

Wilhelm Marstrand made this watercolor drawing, "At the Well Outside the Village," using paper and pigment. The thinness of the watercolor medium, when applied to paper, results in a delicate surface. Marstrand sketched the scene, capturing a moment of daily life with an emphasis on capturing figures, animals, and architecture with precision. Consider the labor involved in Marstrand's artistic process versus that of the women at the well. The women’s task of drawing water would have been a regular chore, crucial for the household, with repetitive physical actions that contrast sharply with the artist’s more cerebral and creative endeavor. The horses are an indication of wealth, and the division of labor and social roles in the village community. Marstrand invites us to think about these themes through the act of representation. The material simplicity of watercolor is used to portray a much more complex picture of life in the Danish countryside.