F.o. en række stående mænd, kvinde med barn. F.n. bogskab med hane 1866

Lorenz Frølich created this pencil drawing on paper, whose title translates as 'sequence of standing men, woman with child', sometime during his career. It's held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. The image, divided into two distinct registers, hints at a commentary on Danish society during the 19th century. In the upper section, a diverse group of men is depicted, each distinguished by their attire, suggesting varying social classes, while to the right, we see a women holding a child. Below, a more indistinct scene unfolds, possibly of labour, with a figure on the left, also in working clothes, looking on. The artwork prompts questions about social structures, gender roles, and economic realities within Danish culture at the time. Is it conservative or progressive? To gain a richer understanding, one might explore Danish social history of the period, investigating class divisions, gender expectations, and the impact of industrialization. The museum archives could reveal more about Frølich's other works and his social position. The meaning of art, as we see, is contingent on its social and institutional context.