Oude dienstmeid met waterkan 1853

Curator: This lithograph by Paul Gavarni, created in 1853, is called "Oude dienstmeid met waterkan," or "Old maid with a water jug," held here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: She looks exhausted, utterly spent. Her eyes are cast downwards like she is hiding something or trying not to cry. And she’s got this water jug. It’s simple. Raw. Melancholic. Curator: The jug is indeed central, isn't it? In many ways, the water it carries could symbolize purity, cleanliness, even baptism—yet here, in her grasp, it seems to weigh her down. Notice how the curve of her back mirrors the shape of the vessel, suggesting a burden shared. The text beneath the drawing also contributes, referring to how ‘Madame autrefois, c'etait Louson quand moi j'etais Madame’ insinuates how there was a change of class and how it wasn't that long ago the roles were very different. Editor: Yes, and the artist renders her so deliberately plain. Even though we're in the Romantic era and the text is about being a madame in the past, there’s none of the idealization you might expect. The folds of her dress seem heavy. Look at her hands—they are solid. This feels real. There's almost something journalistic in the way he depicts this woman’s reality. Almost too truthful, that romantic sentiment might well up into despair, a beautiful madame can very soon be rendered a maid again. Curator: Precisely. Gavarni was known for his social commentary, using figures like this "old maid" to represent broader societal truths. He wasn’t just creating an image of a woman carrying water; he was representing labor, poverty, the harsh realities of life for many in 19th-century France. Editor: The lithograph’s monochrome palette really emphasizes that. It's stark, devoid of prettiness. It intensifies the feeling of toil and…resignation, I suppose. And the light. Just a small light, and some slight reflection on the jug, offering hope that her past life is now like looking into a jug. It’s just beyond her grasp and difficult to interpret. It feels deeply personal to me, this image, even though I've never scrubbed floors for a living. Curator: Gavarni allows us a glimpse into her world, inviting empathy for a life that may seem distant from our own. Editor: Makes you wonder what happened to Louson to become this "Oude dienstmeid." I hope she found her way back to "Madame" eventually.