Stehende Frau, ihr Gewand raffend 

Philipp Rumpf made this sketch of a standing woman gathering her gown, sometime in the 19th century. During the 1800s, fashion became an important marker of social standing. The elaborate dresses of the era, with their layers of fabric and restrictive corsets, visually communicated wealth and status. But they also physically constrained women, limiting their movement and reinforcing traditional gender roles. In this sketch, the woman’s gesture of gathering her gown is interesting. Is she claiming some agency over her mobility, or merely adjusting to societal expectations? There is an emotional tension in this simple act. The sketch invites us to consider the complex negotiations women navigated during this era, between freedom, constraint, and self-expression. The act of 'gathering' could be interpreted as an attempt to balance these conflicting demands.