Halffiguur van een vrouw in profiel 1755 - 1792

This is Hendrik van Maarseveen’s small etching, "Halffiguur van een vrouw in profiel", whose date remains a mystery. What we know is that Maarseveen, who died in 1792, was working during a revolutionary period that saw dramatic shifts in social structures and gender roles. Here, the woman’s identity and her story are partially obscured. The etching technique lends itself to a shadowy, almost dreamlike quality, drawing our attention to the intimate nature of the piece. The woman’s head covering might speak to the dress codes of the time, alluding to the complex negotiation between religious expression, modesty, and social status. Despite the small scale, the work invites us to reflect on the constraints and expectations placed on women. The woman's gaze is directed away, inviting questions about what she sees, thinks, and feels, reflecting the subtle negotiations of power, identity, and agency within the domestic sphere.