This early 20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Bodil Larsen Rohweder (1883-1975) depicts a woman holding a tray. Rohweder was an acclaimed illustrator predominantly known for her intricate zoological and botanical drawings.A crystal decanter, half filled with liquor, reflects light from a nearby window. Two glasses, perhaps for port, stand alongside. She carries the tray mindfully - dressed to impress. Is she hosting an evening soirée? Or is this the prelude to a romantic tête-à-tête?Born in Copenhagen, the daughter of a stockbroker, Rohweder’s early tuition was undertaken at the School for Drawing and Applied Art for Women. The first school of its kind, it offered female artists the opportunity to train at a time when a male-dominated society still broadly frowned upon such endeavours. In 1902, she enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.Her early works in oil tend to focus on maternal activities within the home. Two mothers bring children to a playdate, b...