Zittende vrouw die aardappels schilt, voor een venster 1848 - 1888

Anton Mauve sketched this image of a woman peeling potatoes in front of a window using graphite. It is currently located at the Rijksmuseum. This drawing, like much of Mauve’s oeuvre, focuses on the life of the rural worker in the Netherlands. Mauve was part of the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists working in the late 19th century. The Hague School were interested in depicting the everyday life of the Dutch, often painting landscapes and scenes of peasant life. There was a rise of realism in art at this time, influenced by literary movements and the rise of social science research. Artists began to turn their attention to the lives of ordinary people. It would be beneficial to examine the records of workhouses and early sociological reports about the life of rural workers to understand the significance of this drawing. The image encapsulates many aspects of the late 19th century.