It is first and foremost men, not women, who are placed on pedestals. This was early on criticized by the writer Camilla Collett, who herself would become the first woman in Norway to be commemorated with a monument. Tønnesen contributed to ensuring that among the many busts of men, there are also a few women. The portrait of Amalie Skram is regarded as one of her finest works. Tønnesen has rendered Skram larger than life by creating the bust on a supernatural scale. Skram appears with an upright posture and a penetrating gaze. Tønnesen carved the bust in marble herself.