Maria Sethe at the Harmonium 1891

Theo van Rysselberghe painted "Maria Sethe at the Harmonium" in Belgium using pointillist techniques of applying small dots of pure color to create an image. This work reflects the cultural life of the late 19th century, particularly the rise of domestic music-making among the middle classes. Painted around 1891-92, it captures a moment of bourgeois intimacy and domesticity. The setting, complete with musical instruments and draped curtains, speaks to the cultural values and social standing of the sitter and her family. The pointillist style, with its emphasis on scientific color theory, was a progressive artistic choice, yet it is deployed here in the service of a traditional portrait. As historians, we can delve into the social history of music, the status of women in bourgeois society, and the patronage networks that supported artists like Van Rysselberghe to understand this painting better. Art is always embedded in a specific time, place, and set of social relations.