Park met fontein en vrouwen in zwembad before 1854

Curator: Here we have “Park met fontein en vrouwen in zwembad” or “Park with Fountain and Women in Swimming Pool” by Charles Rochussen, created sometime before 1854. It's an engraving, a print, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. What's your initial take? Editor: Dreamy, almost impossibly quaint. It's got this wistful, yearning feeling, like glimpsing a half-remembered summer day from a very long time ago. A little stage-set melancholy? Curator: The Romantic style certainly emphasizes the emotional impact. Genre paintings such as this allowed a glimpse into idealized everyday life for many, particularly with the rise of print media making art more accessible. Parks became these cultivated spaces reflecting social aspirations. Editor: Cultivated is the word! The architecture is manicured, the trees are…performing their “tree-ness,” and the people are all carefully posed. There is nothing really accidental here, is there? But, yet, those little figures in the distance swimming! What a delightful surprise! It gives it all a touch of naughtiness, doesn't it? Curator: The positioning of leisure and public space absolutely had social implications, think of bathing etiquette, accessibility based on class... This isn’t just about capturing beauty, it’s about subtly reinforcing hierarchies. Editor: Hmmm. Still, those women swimming. I mean, that touch of rebellion saves it for me. You can see them there having fun, against all these constructed roles… I will let the hierarchy speak for itself, the humanity whispers back even louder. That tension, it’s beautiful. Curator: And I think the way Rochussen chose print, made his work accessible to a far larger number of people who had strong desires to enjoy their surroundings. Editor: Well said, so we each found our own corner to look into... Mine would probably be near those defiant ladies having the time of their lives! Thanks for sharing it. Curator: Indeed. Thank you! An insightful look at social constructs, as always!