Zittende vrouw bij spinnewiel 1809 - 1837

Pieter Bartholomeusz Barbiers created this drawing of a woman at a spinning wheel with pen in gray in the late 18th or early 19th century. The spinning wheel was a common household tool in the Netherlands during this time, and images of women spinning often carried symbolic weight. Spinning was traditionally seen as a virtuous activity for women, representing domesticity, industry, and self-sufficiency. However, as the Industrial Revolution progressed, the spinning wheel also became associated with a bygone era of handmade goods, before the advent of mechanized production. The Rijksmuseum's records tell us very little about the circumstances in which this drawing was made, so we can only speculate as to its purpose. Was Barbiers seeking to celebrate traditional values, or perhaps to elegize a passing way of life? By examining household inventories, local histories, and other period documents, we can gain further insights into the drawing's meaning and the social context in which it was created. Art is never made in a vacuum, and understanding its historical context is key to unlocking its full significance.