Skitser til: Selv i dødens stund vaager Moderkærligheden over barnets tarv. F.n. mandsfigurer, hoveder og en hest. F.n. mandsfigurer, hoveder og en hest 1860

Lorenz Frølich created this sketch, whose title translates to “Even in the hour of death, maternal love watches over the child’s needs,” likely during the 19th century. Frølich was a Danish painter, illustrator, graphic artist, and etcher. The drawing depicts a mother and child amidst chaos, suggesting the enduring strength of maternal love amidst societal upheaval. Frølich’s emphasis on motherhood can be viewed through the lens of 19th-century European society, where women were often idealized as symbols of domesticity and moral purity. It’s interesting to consider how Frølich both reinforces and complicates these notions by setting the scene during wartime. The tenderness of the mother-child relationship contrasts sharply with the backdrop of war and male figures, highlighting the emotional and physical toll of conflict, and perhaps suggesting an alternative narrative where nurturing and care offer solace in times of strife.