Old Woman Seated c. 17th century

Curator: This image is entitled "Old Woman Seated" by Pieter Jansz. Quast, who was active in the 17th century. Editor: There's a bleakness to this piece, a sense of isolation intensified by the woman's hunched posture and the other figure receding into the background. Curator: Quast was very interested in depicting characters on the margins of society and the public’s engagement with them, often using caricature to highlight moral lessons. Editor: Yes, there is a commentary at play here. I'm wondering about how the artist's social position influenced his depiction of poverty and aging, and how audiences would have received this image. Curator: The exaggerated features and tattered clothing certainly served to create a sense of "otherness," reinforcing existing social hierarchies. Editor: But does it inspire empathy? Or does it simply reinforce prejudices? The woman’s gaze is directed downward—is she ashamed, resigned, or simply tired? Curator: It’s a compelling, if unsettling, image that invites us to consider the complex ways in which poverty and age were perceived and represented in 17th-century Dutch society. Editor: Absolutely, a powerful reminder that representation always carries social and political weight.