Jonge vrouw leest een boek, staand voor de boekenkast 1841 - 1892

Léopold Flameng created this print of a young woman reading a book, standing before a bookcase. The composition of the etching is structured around the contrast between the dark, velvety textures of the woman’s dress and the pale, smooth surfaces of the surrounding interior. Flameng uses a limited tonal range to emphasize the play of light and shadow across the scene. The linearity of the bookcase and the receding planes of the room create a sense of depth, drawing the viewer's eye into the intimate space of the reader. The woman, positioned slightly off-center, embodies a structural division between knowledge and personal reflection. Through the careful manipulation of light and texture, Flameng constructs not just a visual space, but a semiotic field where reading is presented as a transformative act. The print invites us to consider the relationship between the reader, the book, and the world around them, suggesting that knowledge is both a personal journey and a cultural construct.