Portrait of the Artist´s Mother, Cecilia Margrethe Købke, née Petersen 1836

Here we see Christen Købke’s painted portrait of his mother, Cecilia Margrethe Købke. Executed in oil on canvas, the painting's visual experience is immediately striking for its intimate scale and the sitter's direct gaze. Købke uses a muted palette, dominated by earthy greens and browns, which lends the piece a sense of quietude. Købke's composition is carefully structured, with Cecilia positioned centrally, her face softly illuminated against the darker background. Her elaborate bonnet and patterned shawl add texture and detail, contrasting with the simplicity of her dress. The formal structure invites a semiotic reading. The knitting ball and book, placed at the bottom edge, act as signs pointing to Cecilia’s domestic role and intellectual life. Cecilia's gaze and contemplative pose, her finger resting on her chin, destabilize fixed meanings, and invite a deeper look into the representation of women. The painting uses form to reveal Cecilia’s interiority, blurring the boundaries between public and private life. It serves as a sign to invite a continuous interpretation.