Wandelende vrouwen met opgetrokken rokken c. 1840 - 1860

This sketch by Charles Rochussen captures women walking, their skirts raised, a common sight from his time. But the act of lifting skirts, ostensibly to navigate the streets, carries deeper echoes. We see it mirrored in ancient depictions of nymphs or maenads, their garments swirling in ecstatic dance, a liberation of the body from social constraints. This gesture resurfaces through art history, each time subtly altered, yet still resonating with themes of movement and freedom. Consider the psychological weight of revealing the lower limbs. Throughout the ages, it has been charged with both modesty and allure. The act of lifting one's skirt is a practical necessity, but also, perhaps, an unconscious assertion of self, a fleeting rebellion against the restrictions of propriety. Rochussen’s sketch, in its simple lines, captures this complex interplay: the ordinary made extraordinary by the enduring power of gesture. It's a reminder of how symbols evolve, their roots stretching back into the collective memory, constantly reshaped by the currents of time and culture.