Vrouwelijk naakt, staand voor een spiegel 1871 - 1906

Pieter de Josselin de Jong created this drawing of a nude woman standing in front of a mirror sometime during his career in the late 19th century. This image reflects a time when academic training still emphasized the study of the human form, especially the nude. In the Netherlands, like elsewhere in Europe, art academies played a crucial role in defining what was considered acceptable and skillful in art. De Jong, having been a student and later a professor at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam, operated within this institutional framework. The drawing’s subject matter might seem timeless, but its meaning is rooted in the cultural values of its time. Was de Jong challenging or reinforcing social norms? The archives of the Rijksakademie might offer a more comprehensive picture of the tensions in artistic production.