Lesende Frau 

Eduard Veith made this drawing of a woman reading in Vienna. In fin-de-siècle Vienna, the private lives of the bourgeoisie came under increasing scrutiny. Here, Veith presents a woman in a domestic interior, her attention focused on the book in her hands. Reading was seen as a feminine accomplishment, so the image subtly reinforces conventional gender roles. At the same time, the woman's absorption in her reading challenges patriarchal norms. Is she reading for self-improvement, or merely for entertainment? The picture is ambiguous. To understand this drawing better, we might research the history of reading practices or the representation of women in Viennese art. Only through a thorough understanding of its cultural and institutional context can we glimpse its meaning.