Vrouw met een schaal en kan bij een altaar 1813

Catharina Kemper made this drawing of a woman with a bowl and jug near an altar, using pen and ink, likely sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. In its classical subject matter, it reflects the influence of the Enlightenment and its passion for all things Greek and Roman. The woman, likely a priestess, is idealized in the neoclassical style, her garments simple, elegant, and vaguely antique. Yet we must ask, how did the artist’s social position affect her work? As an artist working in the Netherlands, Kemper was dependent on institutions such as academies, museums, and patronage networks to display and sell her work. Her choice of subject matter was likely influenced by the art market. The art world of her time was dominated by men, and the study of women artists like Kemper requires archival research into exhibition records, letters, and other historical documents to reveal their contributions and challenges. By exploring the social context of Kemper’s drawing, we can better understand its place within the art world of her time.