Hoofd van Jantien Klinker, van voren before 1892

Anthon Gerhard Alexander van Rappard made this drawing of Jantien Klinker using graphite. Van Rappard belonged to a generation of artists in the Netherlands who were keen to represent the lives of ordinary people. This close-up study offers a frank and unsentimental view of old age. In the late 19th century, ideas about class and poverty were changing, and some artists felt a responsibility to show the realities of life for working people. The image is not glamorous, but it does seem to respect Jantien Klinker as an individual. To understand this work better, we can look at the social context in the Netherlands at the time. Industrialization was changing the landscape, and there was growing concern about the living conditions of the poor. Artists like Van Rappard were part of this changing social landscape. Historical records, letters, and other documents can reveal even more about the world in which this drawing was made.