Madammerne stiger til vogns på Hanserplads 1810 - 1873

Wilhelm Marstrand sketched "Madammerne stiger til vogns på Hanserplads" in brown ink sometime in the 19th century. It captures a moment of everyday life, but also hints at the social fabric of Copenhagen. Marstrand presents the viewer with a scene of bourgeois life, where the act of boarding a carriage becomes a small spectacle. The drawing, with its precise lines, speaks to a Denmark experiencing rapid urbanization and the rise of a middle class with its own rituals. The setting, Hanserplads, becomes a stage for displaying social status. The artwork doesn’t just reflect society; it critiques it. The attention to detail in the clothing and posture of the figures suggests an awareness of the social codes at play. The historian examines tax records, fashion plates, and literature of the time, to understand the power dynamics within the drawing and its engagement with the institutions of class and identity.