Sepulchral Monument to the Artist's Mother, Signe Tegner 1899

Rudolph Tegner carved this Sepulchral Monument to his mother Signe Tegner in Denmark, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Tegner's sculpture speaks to broader trends in European art at the time. This monument can be understood in the context of a growing interest in the psychology of mourning and remembrance. The figure is partially concealed by the rock, which suggests the overwhelming nature of grief and the desire for solace and refuge in times of loss. In addition to the artist's feelings about the death of his mother, it also suggests the artist's feelings about the institutions of art. Here, the artist presents a deeply personal memorial as a defiant rejection of traditional and academic art, a very common idea at the time. Understanding artwork like this requires historical and biographical research that can reveal the artist's intentions and the sculpture's cultural impact.