Vrouw doet de was in een weide 1867 - 1890

Curator: Right now we’re looking at Philip Zilcken’s etching, “Vrouw doet de was in een weide,” which translates to “Woman doing laundry in a meadow.” It's believed to have been created between 1867 and 1890 and it depicts exactly what the title suggests. Editor: Ah, yes, a snapshot of pure domesticity. There's a lonely, almost melancholic mood to it, wouldn’t you say? Just a woman, her washing, a vast, windy field. Curator: Zilcken was really trying to capture everyday life as it was, right down to the bare essentials. Realism was having a major moment in the art world back then, pushing back against the romantic idealizations of earlier generations. It’s hanging in the Rijksmuseum and is printed on paper. Editor: And that rough, almost hurried, line work! You can feel the wind tugging at the fabric, see the bending of the grass. This work captures the daily realities of working class women—that often went unseen by society and celebrated by popular media, no idealized images. She is not looking for attention and looks away to complete her work in a private space. There’s dignity in the depiction, though, a quiet resilience. I love that. Curator: I think that resilience is key. This wasn’t just about showcasing hardship. It's honoring a certain kind of labor, valuing the work it requires. It really reflects a shift in artistic values. Moving away from glorifying the powerful to portraying common folk with integrity. Editor: Precisely. By framing these moments, artists of Zilcken's ilk gave visibility and perhaps validation to ordinary experience, changing our understanding of worth. It also seems deeply human to connect on such simple things through visual representation. We’re sharing the emotional labor and struggles through such art. Curator: Definitely gives you something to reflect on. This tiny, unassuming print really does ask us to reconsider our perceptions of what is valuable, doesn't it? Editor: A potent little slice of social history! A wonderful intimate look.