Struikgewas 1834 - 1906

Maria Vos made this graphite drawing, "Struikgewas," as a page in a sketchbook. Vos lived in a time when women artists often focused on still life, domestic scenes, or portraits, fitting into societal expectations that confined them to certain genres. In this drawing, Vos sketches foliage and shrubbery with a delicate hand, capturing the intricate details and textures of the natural world. But what does it mean for a woman artist to turn her attention to the landscape? Perhaps it was a space where she found freedom. It’s as if she’s mapping a space where the natural world and her inner life can meet. The drawing itself feels intimate, a personal exploration of nature's quiet beauty. Vos was part of a community of women artists who pushed the boundaries of their roles, and this sketch is a quiet, yet powerful, reminder of the spaces they carved out for themselves. "Struikgewas" invites us to consider the ways in which women artists have historically engaged with and represented the world around them.