Vrouw met schort om en een mand, naar links Possibly 1651

Harmen ter Borch sketched this woman with ink in 1651. She stands in profile, wearing an apron and carrying a basket, likely on her way to market. The apron, a common motif across centuries, signifies domesticity and labor. We see this echoed in countless depictions of women—from ancient Roman mosaics showing women tending shops to the Renaissance paintings where aprons denote the virtue of a hardworking household. Consider how this simple garment evolves: In medieval tapestries, it might be a sign of servitude, while in 19th-century realist paintings, it symbolizes the dignity of the working class. The image resonates with our collective memory, evoking a sense of timelessness. The apron, a seemingly mundane object, carries within it layers of social, economic, and cultural meaning, engaging viewers with a powerful sense of recognition and connection to the past.