Studies van een roze en een witte roos 1841

Marie Louise Praetorius created these watercolor studies of a pink and a white rose. Praetorius, who died at just 29, was painting at a time when women artists often focused on domestic or natural subjects. Through her delicate touch, she infuses these studies with a sense of life and quiet observation. The choice of roses, flowers often associated with femininity and beauty, provides a lens through which we might consider the expectations placed upon women in the 19th century. Praetorius delicately captures the textures and colors of the petals, so we are invited to reflect on the roles and representations of women in art and society. These roses, rendered with such care, offer a subtle yet powerful statement about the intersection of nature, art, and gender.