Reading aloud 

Hanna Hirsch-Pauli’s painting depicts a moment of domesticity and intellectual life, inviting us into the private sphere of late 19th-century bourgeois culture. Born into a time when women’s roles were often confined to the domestic sphere, Hirsch-Pauli became one of few women to exhibit at the Salon in Paris. “Reading aloud” captures a scene of leisure and contemplation. Yet, we should ask, whose leisure and whose contemplation are privileged here? The painting presents a tableau of contrasting experiences: a woman reclines, seemingly lost in thought or perhaps fatigue, while a man engrossed in a book embodies active engagement. A third man completes the composition, overseeing the scene, with a scattering of objects that hints at artistic life, and subtle markers of status and education. Hirsch-Pauli offers an intimate look at the dynamics within educated circles, but also prompts questions about the distribution of labor, attention, and power within these settings. The painting reveals a moment in time and sparks a broader reflection on the structures that shape our experiences.