Engel biedt drie vrouwen in het bos een boek aan 1839 - 1874

Auguste Danse made this print, "Engel biedt drie vrouwen in het bos een boek aan," using etching, sometime in the 19th century. The three women, possibly representing the classical muses or graces, are encountered in the woods by a winged figure, an angel, who offers them a book. The act of offering a book brings up questions around knowledge, wisdom, and power, and who has access to these. Who is included, and who is excluded from its teachings? In this allegory, the women are the recipients of knowledge, but the story also subtly reinforces historical gender roles, where knowledge is something men often bestow upon women. Consider the implications of knowledge and learning as portrayed here. In what ways might this image reflect or challenge the gendered power structures of its time? The piece invites us to reflect on the dynamics of learning, and the subtle ways art both mirrors and shapes our understanding of knowledge and gender.