Rain and Sunshine, Dordrecht 

Tina Blau painted "Rain and Sunshine, Dordrecht" during a time when women artists were gaining more visibility, yet still faced significant barriers in the art world. Blau’s atmospheric landscape, reminiscent of the Hague School, captures the transient effects of weather on the Dutch waterways. You can almost feel the dampness in the air, the sun fighting its way through the clouds, and the reflections shimmering on the water's surface. The subtle interplay of light and shadow is rendered with delicate brushstrokes. The industrial presence of the boats and windmills is integrated in the landscape. The decision to focus on such everyday, working scenes – rather than idealized or traditionally beautiful landscapes – speaks to a shift in artistic values, one that mirrors Blau's own journey as a woman navigating and capturing her place in a rapidly changing world. Her commitment to portraying the world as she experienced it, contributes to a broader understanding of the diverse perspectives that shaped nineteenth-century art.