Landschap met twee vrouwen 1847 - 1865

This is 'Landscape with Two Women', an etching made by Willem Roelofs, a Dutch artist who lived in the nineteenth century. At first glance, it’s a serene image of the Dutch countryside, featuring two women in the foreground. Look closer, and think about the social realities of 19th-century rural life. The women appear to be laborers, perhaps traveling to or from work. The scale of the landscape and their placement within it may emphasize the physical demands and limited social mobility of rural women during this time. Roelofs, who was part of the Hague School, often focused on the natural beauty of the Netherlands, and it's interesting to consider how his landscapes also reflect the lives of the people who inhabited them. Do the women have agency? Are they enjoying nature, or simply surviving within it? 'Landscape with Two Women' invites us to reflect on the intersection of gender, labor, and the environment, prompting us to consider whose stories are told and whose are often unseen.