Handwerkende jonge vrouw en een man die toekijkt 1854 - 1914

Albert Neuhuys made this charcoal drawing of a young woman working while a man watches, and it is now held at the Rijksmuseum. Looking at this image, we should consider the public role of art in the Netherlands during the late 19th century. Neuhuys belonged to the Hague School, a group of artists who depicted everyday life with a strong sense of realism, often focusing on rural scenes. These images resonated with a society undergoing rapid urbanization and industrialization. The focus on traditional crafts, like the woman's work in this drawing, can be seen as a commentary on the changing social structures of the time, and perhaps as a conservative longing for a disappearing past. Who has the right to observe labour? To understand this drawing more fully, we can consult historical archives and documents related to the Hague School and the social history of the Netherlands. By considering art as a product of its specific social and institutional context, we gain a richer understanding of its meaning and significance.