Og Katten var Herre i Huset og Hønen Madame 1928

Fritz Syberg made this drawing with ink on paper, its title loosely translates to ‘And the Cat was Master of the House and the Hen Madame.’ There is a lot of frenetic mark making and cross hatching that almost feels like anxious energy. Syberg builds the scene from simple gestures, making it look thrown together, like a quick sketch, but in that casualness there is a feeling of a real place. I keep getting drawn to the hen sat on the chair. Her back is to us. Her posture looks almost human. The way she is placed so prominently in the composition makes me consider her position. She looks out into the domestic space, where the cat sleeps soundly on the bed. It feels like she is keeping watch, and makes me wonder about the power dynamics suggested by the title. The drawing reminds me of the work of Philip Guston, in the way the artist is able to create such charged and compelling imagery through a simplified, almost cartoonish style. Art is a conversation, and this piece is a great example of the unique voices in the mix.