Rouwend gezelschap in een sterfhuis 1839 - 1889

Nikolaus Barthelmess created this print, "Mourning company in a death house", during the 19th century, a time of significant social change. It depicts a scene where people are dealing with loss, within the confines of a domestic space. The somber atmosphere suggests more than just grief, it hints at the constraints and expectations placed upon people during this period. Notice the prevalence of women and children, who seem to be the center of the mourning rituals. The women in the print might tell a story about gendered roles and emotional labor. How mourning rituals provided women with some agency in the home. It invites us to consider how such events shape our identities. It encourages reflections about the societal structures that define our lives.