Oude vrouw leest uit een boek en op tafel staat een theekop 1882

This etching by Joseph Dujardin presents an intimate scene of an old woman engrossed in a book, a teacup resting on the table beside her. Note the book, a vessel of knowledge and memory, echoing the ancient symbol of the scroll. From the Library of Alexandria to medieval illuminated manuscripts, books have represented wisdom passed down through generations. Here, the woman's bowed head and the book's prominence evoke contemplation and introspection, drawing parallels to depictions of saints or scholars in earlier art. Consider the teacup—an object of domesticity, yet also a symbol of ritual and comfort. This simple scene subtly engages our collective memory, drawing us into the woman's private world. The very act of reading, of seeking knowledge, connects her to a lineage of thinkers and dreamers throughout history, proving that symbols are never still, they are carried through time, evolving, resurfacing, and inviting us to find resonance between past and present.