Vrouw stapt uit een vliegtuig before 1945

Editor: Here we have Hans Borrebach's drawing, "Vrouw stapt uit een vliegtuig," likely made before 1945. It depicts a woman descending from an airplane staircase and shaking hands with a man. I find the drawing to be a lighthearted, almost celebratory image. What strikes you most about it? Curator: For me, this seemingly simple sketch opens up questions about gender and societal expectations, particularly regarding women's roles in pre-war Europe. The woman, descending the airplane stairs, represents progress and mobility, but there's also the man waiting, the handshake suggesting perhaps a transaction or regulated welcome. The KLM logo looming in the background makes me wonder who was truly afforded this mobility, and at what cost. Editor: So, you see a tension between the forward motion of the woman and the somewhat transactional nature of her reception? Curator: Precisely. And the artistic style contributes to this tension. The cartoonish lines can lull us into complacency, yet it also critiques the constructed ideals of femininity and domesticity often projected onto women during this era. Borrebach uses charm as a Trojan horse, so to speak. I wonder if Borrebach considered this to be propaganda, resistance or if his work reflected how airlines promoted an idea of global society. Editor: I hadn’t considered it that way. Now I'm seeing how the drawing subtly challenges conventional narratives about women in transit and highlights potentially uneven power dynamics during that period. Curator: Exactly. Thinking about who gets to move, how they are greeted and perceived based on their gender and nationality—it's still very relevant today. Editor: It makes me think about how advertising has always been a tool for building national identity. Curator: Absolutely, and it is our role to critically examine such pieces of artwork that seem banal at first glance to unveil their intrinsic ideological significance. Editor: This has really changed my perspective; thank you for sharing!