To studier, ung pige i regnvejr og ung pige vrider tøj 1859

This drawing, by Wilhelm Marstrand, shows two studies of a young girl, rendered with pen and brown ink. The quick, flowing lines capture the figures with immediacy. But it's the activities they depict that are most telling. Marstrand has captured the mundane realities of women's labor. The top figure, soaked by rain, lies exhausted. Below, a woman wrings out clothes, her face a mix of weariness and resolve. The artist’s choice of ink, applied with such rapid strokes, mirrors the swift, repetitive motions of the woman’s work. Marstrand, though celebrated for his genre paintings and historical scenes, reveals a sensitivity to the lives of working women. The drawing’s apparent simplicity belies its depth, inviting us to consider the labor, class, and gender dynamics of 19th-century Denmark. It blurs the line between fine art and everyday life.