Buste van oude vrouw, naar links 1766

Editor: Here we have Hendrik Nieuwenhuysen's 1766 ink drawing on paper, “Buste van oude vrouw, naar links,” housed here at the Rijksmuseum. I'm immediately drawn to the woman’s aged face and elaborate turban. There's a strong sense of character here. What's your perspective on this piece? Curator: Well, it's important to recognize this work exists within a historical context where representations of aging, particularly of women, are often loaded with societal judgments. Nieuwenhuysen's choice to depict this woman with such detail—the wrinkles, the lines etched into her face—challenges the idealised beauty standards that were so prevalent in art and society. Don't you find it intriguing that it’s categorized as caricature? Editor: That’s interesting. I do find that label curious, as her expression seems more dignified than comedic. It's certainly not a flattering portrait. Curator: Exactly. What Nieuwenhuysen may be doing is subverting the male gaze. He's claiming it, but not deploying it for objectification. Instead, he's presenting her lived experience as something valuable and worthy of documentation. The turban could allude to an orientalist fantasy, however this feels almost a costume… something donned for this exercise, perhaps questioning cultural appropriation in the process. What do you think? Editor: That's a really thought-provoking interpretation. I hadn't considered the orientalist aspect, but the turban definitely opens that door. I suppose my initial reading was too simple. Curator: That’s the power of contextualising art! Looking beyond the surface allows us to consider the social commentary at play, and how artists might use their work to challenge our own biases. Editor: It certainly provides a new lens for understanding the piece, considering both gender representation and cultural context in art of the time. Thank you! Curator: And thank you for asking! It is a fascinating piece indeed.