Shearing sheep

Shearing Sheep (1900), at Aalborg, depicts the seasonal agricultural activity of wool shearing that formed part of the economic life of the Skagen region's farming community alongside its fishing industry. Anna Ancher's interest in depicting all aspects of the community she was part of extended to agricultural labour as well as domestic work and fishing. The specific physical activity of shearing—crouching figures, the close contact with animals, the physical effort required—gave her a subject of natural, unposed absorption that suited her approach to depicting human beings engaged in genuine activity.

The close interaction between human figure and sheep—the shearer crouching over the animal—creates an unusual compositional grouping that Ancher must render with careful attention to the physical relationship between the two. The wool's textural qualities—before and after shearing—provide material contrast within the composition. Outdoor northern light falls across the scene with the directness Ancher so consistently exploited.