Vrouw in een roeiboot bij een waterkant 1895

This small pencil drawing depicts a woman in a rowboat near a shore, by Willem Cornelis Rip. Though undated, Rip was alive during a time of great shifts in the social and political landscapes, particularly concerning the roles of women in society. Here, the woman is alone, engaged in the traditionally masculine activity of rowing. Rip’s choice to portray a woman in this role invites us to consider the changing dynamics of gender and labor. Note the level of detail in her dress compared to the landscape, Rip seems more interested in the figure and less in the land around her. The intimate scale of the sketch draws us into a personal moment, perhaps reflecting the artist's own observations and feelings about the evolving status and agency of women at the time.