Meisjeskop 1865 - 1913

Bramine Hubrecht made this delicate pencil drawing, entitled ‘Meisjeskop’ or ‘Head of a Girl’, sometime during her career in the Netherlands. Hubrecht was part of a wave of female artists who, from the late 19th century, sought formal artistic training and professional recognition in a male-dominated art world. Women at this time were challenging social conventions, pursuing education and careers previously reserved for men. Hubrecht studied at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague, reflecting the gradual opening up of art institutions to women. Consider the subtle gaze and soft lines of the drawing. It captures a sense of quiet introspection, perhaps reflecting the changing roles and inner lives of women in Dutch society at the time. The drawing’s intimacy, achieved through the close framing of the subject and the simplicity of the medium, may be seen as a conscious contrast to the grand, formal portraits traditionally associated with male artists and powerful patrons. To fully appreciate this work, further research into the social and institutional context of female artists in the Netherlands during Hubrecht’s lifetime would be invaluable.