Lony en een vriendin kijken naar een berglandschap before 1954

Hans Borrebach created this pen and ink drawing, titled 'Lony en een vriendin kijken naar een berglandschap', which translates to 'Lony and a friend looking at a mountain landscape.' Borrebach was a Dutch artist born in 1903, living through both world wars. Here, two young women pause on their bike ride to admire a distant vista. One is fair-haired, shielding her eyes from the sun; the other, darker haired, leans casually against a fence post. The style reminds one of newspaper cartoons, or perhaps the illustrations from a children’s book. The context of its creation is elusive, but one can imagine the artist, emerging from the shadow of war, focusing on a post-war society in which women's roles were changing, choosing to depict a simple moment of friendship and appreciation of nature. Their attire suggests a newfound freedom and practicality, reflecting evolving gender norms. The vast landscape symbolizes new beginnings. This is a quiet moment of hope, a simple sketch imbued with the winds of change.