Malresl Working in the Kitchen c. 1898

Wilhelm Leibl sketched "Malresl Working in the Kitchen" using graphite, capturing a woman engaged in domestic labor, sometime before 1900. Leibl was a German realist painter, focusing on rural life and the working class, a theme seen here. This drawing presents an intimate view of a woman’s daily life, likely within the context of 19th-century gender roles and class structures. The detailed rendering of her face contrasts with the sketchier background, drawing our focus to her. The setting—a simple kitchen—and her modest attire suggest a life of labor, reflecting the artist's broader interest in the realities of rural existence. The sketch is not just a depiction of a woman working; it is a consideration of the labor and lives of those often unseen. It invites us to reflect on the representation of women and the working class in art, then and now.