After a summer break, the women’s group in the Tuebingen Seventh-day Adventist Church resumed its monthly meetings on September 2, with a topic that looked at the way women’s talents in the arts were undervalued in the 19th century. Women had to be very determined if they wanted to pursue a career in the arts, as they were denied access to most art academies. Drawing and painting were deemed a nice occupation for upper-class ladies, but making a living thereby was considered inappropriate. However talented a woman might be, her work was considered “quite nice” because a woman could not be an artist.
Inspired by a visit to the exhibition “Crossing Borders” at the Ateneum in Helsinki, Finland, where the life and work of about 50 Nordic women painters and sculptors were shown, Hannele Ottschofski shared her impressions by taking those present on a virtual tour of the exhibition. The difficulties women had to face in developing their talents and pursuing their dreams were then discussed by the group, as they learned about the life and work of these talented artists. Traveling and painting in a crinoline were some of the challenges they faced. The group also reviewed how women’s rights evolved in the North, with Finland granting universal suffrage in 1906 as the first country in Europe and third in the world.
In his parable of the talents, Jesus encouraged his followers to develop their gifts. As Christians, we can learn a lot from the courageous women who surmounted many obstacles on their way to fulfilling their dreams. We, too, can make a difference in the world, even if we as women still face obstacles, as long as we persevere and do not give up.
For those who are interested: there is a partner exhibition at the Düsseldorf Kunsthalle: Female Artists! From Monjé to Münter September 25, 2025 to February 1, 2026
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will be showing “Seeing the Silence: The Paintings of Helene Sjerfbeck” from December 5, 2025 to April 5, 2026, marking the first solo presentation of a Nordic woman painter.