En ung mand betragter tre kvinder i et spejl 1866

Carl Bloch made this drawing with pen and ink, depicting a man observing women in a mirror. The immediacy of the medium lends a sense of the everyday, but also highlights the social dynamics at play. The artist's confident application of ink creates a stark contrast between light and shadow. The hatching technique, where closely spaced parallel lines build up tone, gives form to the man's figure and the surrounding interior. The quick, decisive strokes capture the fleeting moment of observation, while the reflective surface of the mirror hints at layers of hidden narrative. The economic status of the subjects is evident. The man, dressed in a tailored suit, appears to be of a higher social class than the women he observes. We can see the scene through Bloch’s precise lines.