Vrouw, schetsend achter een tekenblok 1865 - 1913

This is Bramine Hubrecht’s red chalk drawing, "Vrouw, schetsend achter een tekenblok" or “Woman sketching behind a drawing block”. Hubrecht was born in 1855 into a time when women’s roles were very much prescribed and limited. The drawing gives us insight into the position of women in art and society. The depiction of a woman artist is, in itself, a statement. During the late 19th century, women's access to formal art training and professional opportunities was restricted. By depicting herself at work, Hubrecht quietly asserts her presence and agency in a field dominated by men. The sketch is intimate and informal, allowing us to observe the artist in a private moment of creation. Hubrecht's choice of subject is quietly subversive, and allows a glimpse into the life and work of a woman artist navigating a male-dominated world.