Min hustru (fru Anna Syberg) binder krans 1894

Fritz Syberg made this drawing of his wife Anna Syberg in 1894 using pen and ink on paper. The drawing's appearance is largely influenced by the nature of ink as a medium, and the linear quality that it gives the artwork. Look closely, and you’ll see that the texture in the work comes entirely from the artist’s hand and the varying density of the drawn lines. The cross-hatching technique that the artist employed in the drawing gives it a visual depth that is really interesting. The act of wreath-making is a laborious process, and the artist has carefully captured this sense of labour and skill in the drawing. The image invokes a kind of domestic craft that was typically relegated to women in the late 19th century. The drawing challenges the distinctions between fine art and craft by elevating the everyday skill, labor, and context involved in the wreath-making process.