Vrouw van Richard Roland Holst in bed met afgewend gezicht 1903

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this pencil drawing of his wife in bed with her face turned away in 1893. In nineteenth-century Europe, images of women, especially within the domestic sphere, were loaded with social expectations and gendered codes. The averted face invites speculation. Is this a private moment of contemplation, or does it reveal a more complex emotional state? The bed, traditionally associated with rest and intimacy, here becomes a stage for a silent narrative. In the Netherlands at this time, there was a growing interest in symbolism and psychology, influencing art and literature to explore deeper emotional and psychological states. The artist would have been working within institutions that reflected those trends. Analyzing Holst's drawing through the lens of social history requires us to consider the cultural context and artistic movements of his time. Examining period sources, such as letters, diaries, and contemporary art criticism, can provide valuable insights into the social and institutional forces that shaped this evocative image.