Seamstress Sewing in an Interior 

Carl Holsøe painted "Seamstress Sewing in an Interior" with oil on canvas. Look closely, and you’ll see Holsøe’s interest in both the interior design and the seamstress's craft. The way the light falls across the space emphasizes the textures of the fabrics, wood, and plaster, as well as the tools of sewing. The act of sewing itself is central here. The careful stitches, the precise movements, the long hours involved – these are all part of the material culture of clothing. What this painting offers is a window into a world of labor, skill, and domesticity. Holsøe calls attention to the value of the seamstress's work, and the social context in which it took place. By focusing on the processes of making, and the ways in which these processes are embedded in the material world, we can begin to understand the full meaning of Holsøe's work.