Interieur met vrouw en slapend kind 1837 - 1853

Hendrik Wilhelmus Last created this print of an interior with a woman and sleeping child at an unknown date, using etching. It presents a snapshot of domesticity, but through what lens? Made in the Netherlands, this image reflects 19th-century bourgeois values, emphasizing the roles of women as caretakers within the home. Consider the visual codes at play: the mother’s modest dress, the serene child, and the enclosed interior all contribute to an image of familial tranquility. The detailed rendering of the interior suggests a comfortable, middle-class existence. But what is not depicted is just as important. Are we invited to consider the labor and social structures that underpinned this domestic scene? To understand this work fully, we might delve into Dutch social history of the period, exploring sources like domestic advice manuals and demographic records. These could shed light on the lived experiences of women and children and on the economic forces shaping Dutch society at the time. What does it tell us about the public role of art when such private moments are displayed in institutions like the Rijksmuseum?