Vrouw geeft kind de borst 1854 - 1863

Curator: Here we have “Vrouw geeft kind de borst,” or “Woman Nursing Child,” a print made sometime between 1854 and 1863. The artist who created this work is Adolf Carel Nunnink, and it now resides here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: Oh, that’s immediately very sweet, though somewhat austere. It’s a glimpse into a very personal, everyday moment. It also strikes me as dark - like, both tonally and emotionally… does it strike you the same way? Curator: Definitely a subdued palette, even given the nature of engraving, but if you look closer at the details, like the birdcage, guitar hanging on the wall, and the shelf displaying pewter, this image is steeped in symbolic language relating to the concept of freedom and harmony. It suggests that domestic life might not be as somber as the palette lets on. Editor: You're right! There's something interesting about a guitar and a birdcage appearing alongside mother and child, like an evocation of hopes or desires extending beyond the domestic space. And the guitar, perched casually above it all, hints at art, at creative life... Curator: It’s that visual balance, isn’t it? The warmth of familial intimacy contrasting with the outside world. But this work fits firmly in the genre painting tradition. It depicts the daily life of ordinary people—in this case a nursing mother— rather than, say, a grand historical or religious scene. And within this domestic scene, it uses familiar symbolism to give the work cultural weight. Editor: Do you think viewers at the time understood those symbols as readily as we interpret them now? Curator: It's hard to say for certain. But in a way, yes, because a lot of those symbolic frameworks have stayed consistent across generations, right? That association of a bird in a cage, or guitar with music or escape…those are pretty common. Editor: This engraving, in its subtle shades of gray, really lets those symbolic items stand out, while reminding me of old family albums and the powerful stories held within each faded photograph. Nunnink captured more than just a mother feeding her child; he immortalized a whole world of dreams, memories, and possibilities within the simple lines of an engraving. Curator: Beautifully put! It’s that power to make the personal universal and lasting, isn’t it? This print isn’t just about a moment, it's a touchstone of human experience.