Meisje zittend op de schouders van een man c. 1900 - 1930

Elly Verstijnen created this pen drawing titled 'Girl Sitting on a Man's Shoulders'. The piece presents a tension between public and private spheres, and plays with the relationship between gender and power. Here we have a suited man and a girl with pigtails smiling and waving. Usually, men in suits are associated with power and authority. Here, he’s performing a nurturing role often associated with women, carrying a child on his shoulders, a literal support. This image may challenge traditional gender roles by portraying a man in a position of care and support, or at least it provides a sense of how these roles can be intertwined. The girl, positioned above, may symbolize innocence, freedom, or a future generation. Her literal higher vantage point offers her a different perspective than the man. The drawing prompts us to reflect on the dynamics within interpersonal relationships, and how societal expectations can be reshaped. It invites viewers to consider the personal narratives and emotions embedded within the visual representation.