Sit­ting Girl (15)

About the work

Siddende pige (Sitting Girl) from 1933 is one of Povl Søndergaard’s early decorative works, originally for Vejle Library, but now placed at Vejle Art Museum.

The artist’s simple idiom creates the impression of a seated woman, in calm and restraint. As a spectator, you become curious about what is hiding behind her introverted gaze. Is she comfortably present in her naked body, or perhaps introverted and shy?

The young, naked female body has been a recurring motif for artists throughout art history. But how do we as an audience view a body? What thoughts does it trigger in us, about ourselves and our own body, when we see other (naked) bodies? What signals do we experience from the body’s movement or stillness? What body ideals shape our view of what constitutes a natural body?

About the artist

Povl Søndergaard (1905-1989) was a sculptor, and he was born in Ringsted. From the time he was 15 until he was 19, Søndergaard was apprenticed as a stonemason. After Technical School, he continued at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, from 1927–33. He became especially known for the sculpture, Pige der sætter sit hår (Girl Doing Her Hair), which he exhibited at Charlottenborg in 1932. During these years, Søndergaard received several scholarships and travelled to Italy, Greece, France, and Spain. Søndergaard also created the memorial to Anders Sørensen Vedel, which stands on Kirketovet in Vejle.