Zuster Buonaventura in het trapportaal van het hospitaal te Kleef 1851 - 1924

Editor: This is Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande's pencil drawing, "Zuster Buonaventura in het trapportaal van het hospitaal te Kleef," dating from 1851 to 1924. It depicts a nun on a staircase in what appears to be a hospital. I find it has such a somber, almost ghostly atmosphere. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It's striking, isn't it? Consider the period this work spans—the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th. We see an incredible moment of shifts in societal structures and thinking about the roles of women. This drawing presents Zuster Buonaventura not in a heroic pose, but caught in the in-between spaces of her work. How might this reflect the changing, often conflicted, view of women's labor, particularly in caregiving roles, at the time? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't thought about the idea of liminal spaces applying to her social role as well. It’s almost like she is in-between worlds, in a time of social change. Curator: Precisely. The sketch-like quality, too, avoids idealization, further grounding her in the everyday. We must ask: What is not shown? What parts of her labor are intentionally outside of the frame? Does this add to the somber mood that you picked up on initially? Editor: Definitely. By not glorifying her work, it reveals a potentially overlooked reality. It's a poignant comment on the unsung labor of women in religious service, something often erased in grand narratives. Curator: Exactly. By focusing on a simple drawing rather than an oil painting that would appear to be more prestigious, and her ordinary presence in the daily life of the hospital, it brings a fresh perspective on women and labour. What did you get from our discussion? Editor: I see now that even seemingly simple genre scenes, like this one, are layered with complex social and historical meanings regarding gender, labor, and representation. Thank you.