Queen Berthe and the spinners 1888

Albrecht Anker created ‘Queen Berthe and the Spinners’ to illustrate a Swiss queen teaching young girls how to spin. Anker painted during a time of emerging national identity in Switzerland, and scenes like this were meant to highlight local history and culture. Here, spinning becomes a symbol of domestic virtue and national heritage. Yet, such idealized representations often obscure the realities of women's labor and the social hierarchies of the time. Anker romanticizes a past where gender roles and class distinctions are neatly defined. The painting invites you to consider how historical narratives can be shaped to serve particular cultural or political agendas. While seemingly celebrating women, it also confines them to traditional roles. It prompts us to reflect on the complexities of history and memory, and the ways in which artists can both reflect and reinforce societal norms.