Moder skal læse. Kunstnerens hustru og barn 1893

Viggo Johansen painted "Mother Should Read. The Artist's Wife and Child" with oil on canvas, a traditional medium for capturing domestic scenes. But, the way Johansen handles the paint is particularly interesting. Notice how the brushstrokes are visible, creating texture and depth, especially in the mother's dark dress and the wooden furniture. The artist builds up layers of paint, a labor-intensive process that adds to the richness of the colors and the overall sense of intimacy. Consider the social context too. In late 19th-century Denmark, literacy was increasingly valued, and the act of a mother reading to her child speaks to the importance of education and the nurturing role of women in the home. The painting elevates this everyday scene to something significant, through the very act of careful, skilled rendering. Looking at the materials and the making helps us appreciate how Johansen invested this simple moment with meaning, challenging any strict divide between craft and fine art.