Zittende vrouw met een hoed en sigaret 1865 - 1913

This sketch of a seated woman with a hat and cigarette was created by Bramine Hubrecht. In this study, the cigarette is not merely an accessory; it's a charged emblem of modernity. The act of smoking is represented in art as a symbol of contemplation and a subversive gesture of independence. We can see the cigarette appearing in the hands of flappers during the Jazz Age, embodying a newfound freedom, a shared act that defied social norms. Consider this against the backdrop of the vanitas tradition, where smoke symbolizes the ephemerality of life. Here, the cigarette seems to exist in an altered state, capturing the essence of fleeting moments and human existence, reminding us of the cyclical nature of symbols.