Draped Woman. Lone Rathsack, the Artist's Wife 1919

Svend Rathsack carved this sculpture of his wife, Lone, from wood, but we don't know exactly when. Looking at it, one might reflect on the long tradition of the draped female figure in European sculpture, from antiquity onwards. The classical associations of this tradition were often used to ennoble the sitter, and to give a sense of dignity and grace. But Rathsack made this during a period of great social change. As new artistic movements sought to disrupt old ways of seeing, there was much debate about what sculpture should look like, and what role it should play in society. A study of exhibition catalogues and contemporary art criticism from the period might give us some more insights into how this sculpture was perceived at the time, and what it might have meant for the artist himself. Considering these social and institutional contexts is crucial if we want to fully grasp what it meant to create, display, and view this work.