Gadesælger og en kvinde, der fletter et stolesæde 1835

This pencil drawing of a street vendor and a woman weaving a chair seat was made by Martinus Rørbye, a Danish artist, in the early 19th century. Rørbye was working during the Danish Golden Age, a period marked by significant national cultural identity, following the Napoleonic Wars. His sketches often captured everyday life and the working class. In this drawing, the woman's domestic craft contrasts with the vendor's mobile trade, highlighting different aspects of labor and gender roles within the emerging bourgeois society. The detailed rendering of their activities invites us to reflect on the value of manual work and the lives of ordinary people during a time of social change. Though Rørbye often traveled and depicted more exotic scenes from abroad, this intimate focus on local Danish life offers a unique perspective on the era. This sketch gives quiet consideration to the lives and labors that often go unseen, it connects us to a tangible sense of history and personal narrative.