Vrouw bij lezende man 1840 - 1883

Curator: Here we have Jan Jacob Fels' "Vrouw bij lezende man," placing it somewhere between 1840 and 1883. It's an etching—a delicate rendering of a domestic scene. My first thought is: scholarly repose. Editor: I’m immediately struck by the cross-hatching; the visible process elevates the everyday. It feels more like witnessing a fleeting moment caught in ink, less posed portraiture. What was Fels up to? Curator: Fels, bless his heart, he's offering us a glimpse into, perhaps, the quiet battle of the sexes. He’s consumed by his book, seemingly oblivious to the woman hovering behind him. There’s something melancholic about her pose. Or maybe she is his muse? Editor: Interesting interpretation. I'm focusing more on the “means of production”. Fels’ decision to use etching—requiring acids, careful timing, and a very skilled hand—contrasts with this seemingly casual scene. It says a lot about valuing quiet moments through skillful, perhaps laborious effort. Who exactly were the woman and the reading man in Fels life, his influences or benefactors? Curator: Could be both patrons and familiars. He was, after all, steeped in realism. This genre-painting attempts a window into life as it's being lived, absent the pomp of high society. Yet, you are right—there's no shying away from the labour it took to produce the sketch! Editor: Labor informs every aspect. The woman's plain dress, his reading glasses. Every material element speaks of a specific social class. The choice of printmaking suggests that the art may have circulated widely. Curator: Ultimately, it is the small details like these that give this piece so much charm. Editor: Yes, absolutely. It reminds us that even intimate moments, when captured through material choices, tell bigger stories about society.