Maria Vos made this pencil drawing of a house with a pointed roof and a chimney among trees at an unknown date in the Netherlands. It seems simple, but the loose and informal sketch has a great deal to say about the shifting social status of women artists in the 19th century. Vos belonged to a generation of women who found new freedom in the art world. Before this time, they had been excluded from the academies and artistic circles that fostered male artists. The drawing reflects this social context. Vos's choice of subject matter – a humble house in the countryside – suggests an interest in everyday life, typical of the Hague School. Historians often look at personal letters, diaries, and exhibition reviews to shed light on how women artists negotiated the art world of their time, and how their work relates to evolving social norms. The meaning of art changes according to its institutional and social context.