Vioolspelend meisje en een man 1870 - 1910

Bramine Hubrecht made this etching of a girl playing the violin for a seated man. Though the date of this work is unknown, Hubrecht lived in an era of strict social norms, especially for women. Confined to domestic roles, they were often excluded from formal artistic training, with the exception of accomplishments such as playing music. This image offers a quiet subversion of those norms. Here, the girl is not merely performing; she is the active creator of art. Her audience, an older man, is passive, a reversal of traditional gender roles. The stark contrast in their postures suggests a subtle power dynamic, as if she commands the space with her music, while he listens intently. It invites us to reflect on the subtle ways in which women artists like Hubrecht challenged and redefined their roles within the confines of their time.