Jonge vrouw nadenkend aan een schrijftafel 1887

Willem Geets created this print, Jonge vrouw nadenkend aan een schrijftafel, whose title translates to Young Woman Thinking at a Writing Table, in the late 19th century. Geets, working in Belgium, produced this piece during a time when women's roles were intensely debated and redefined. Here, we see a woman, perhaps caught in a moment of profound reflection. Her dress and head covering are evocative, maybe even suggesting a historical or religious context. Consider the setting, a writing table strewn with books and papers. What narratives are these objects suggesting? Is she a scholar, a writer, or perhaps a woman managing affairs? The print invites us to contemplate the intellectual and emotional life of women, particularly within the confines of domesticity and societal expectations. We might ask ourselves, what is she thinking about? How does this image challenge or reinforce the stereotypes of women of the time? The work offers a quiet, yet powerful, statement on the interiority and agency of women.