A mother making plaits for her child.

Completed in 1916, this late canvas by Anna Ancher showing a mother making plaits for her child belongs to her sustained exploration of domestic maternity and the everyday rituals of Skagen family life. By 1916, Ancher was in her late fifties and at the height of her powers, possessing a mature authority in interior painting that was recognized nationally and internationally. The subject of hair-plaiting — an intimate act of care passed from mother to child — was treated by Ancher with the same attentiveness she brought to light-filled window scenes and solitary women at needlework. These domestic rituals constituted for her a rich subject matter requiring no exotic staging: the quiet daily life of Skagen provided inexhaustible material. The First World War was devastating European art communities during these years, but Denmark remained neutral and Skagen preserved its character as a working fishing village and artistic gathering place. Ancher's late paintings show a loosening of brushwork and an even greater sensitivity to color temperature, as Impressionist approaches to broken color had gradually filtered into her practice alongside her foundational commitment to observed naturalism. The work captures a moment of physical intimacy between generations, the mother's practiced hands and the child's still posture creating a compact, mutually absorbed group.

Oil on canvas with mature handling characteristic of Ancher's late period. Brushwork is more freely applied than her earlier work, with color temperature playing an increased role in defining form. The warm tones of skin and hair are offset by the cooler, diffused interior light.