A solitary flame – hidden by the woman’s hand – sheds a suggestive light on the dark interior. Hilleström described this painting as ”Two women inspecting a small picture or copperplate by candle-light”. The women are in fact looking at a piece of embroildery on an embroidery frame. This kind of needlework became popular in the 18th century – engravings were used as patterns for embroidery in black silk and hair on white satin fabric. The walls behind the women are hung with paintings in gilt frames that can be seen faintly in the darkness.
<bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Pehr_Hillestr%C3%B6m" class="extiw" title="w:en:Pehr Hilleström"><span title="Swedish artist (1732-1816)">Pehr Hilleström</span></a>
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Unknown date<div style="display: none;">Unknown date</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collection.nationalmuseum.se/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&amp;module=collection&amp;objectId=19513&amp;viewType=detailView">  Åsa Lundén / Nationalmuseum</a>