Ung pige ved sin lampe, støttende hovedet i begge hænder 1897 - 1900

Frans Schwartz created this etching, "Young Girl by Her Lamp, Supporting Her Head with Both Hands," without a specific date. The print captures a mood of introspective melancholy, a theme that resonated within the cultural landscape of late 19th-century Denmark. Images of women were changing during this period. No longer simply allegorical figures or domestic goddesses, they are increasingly portrayed as individuals with inner lives, caught between the confines of societal expectations and the burgeoning desire for personal expression. The lamp in the title brings to mind that the scene is lit with artificial light. This references back to the tradition of 'nocturne' painting popularised by James McNeill Whistler at the time. To understand the print more fully, one could research the status of women, the artistic training available, and the prevailing social attitudes toward female artists. We might ask, what role did institutions like the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts play in either promoting or hindering the artistic endeavors of women during Schwartz's time? Examining these social and institutional contexts brings us closer to grasping the meanings embedded within this image.