Ouder echtpaar in gesprek 1832 - 1891

Herman Frederik Carel ten Kate made this small drawing, entitled 'Older Couple in Conversation', using pen in the Netherlands sometime in the 19th century. The sketch gives us a glimpse into the domestic life of a middle-class couple. The woman sits passively at a table with a cup, while the man gestures animatedly. Is he explaining something, or perhaps even lecturing her? The drawing speaks to the conventional gender roles prevalent in 19th-century Dutch society. The woman is confined to the domestic sphere while the man is active and engaged with the outside world. To understand this work better, we could look at etiquette manuals and conduct books from the period, which offer insights into the expected behaviors of men and women. Examining household inventories and probate records might reveal details about the material circumstances of middle-class families like this one. This drawing encourages us to consider the social codes and power dynamics that shaped people’s lives in the past.