Staande vrouw met kind 1777 - 1779

Curator: This small ink drawing, titled "Staande vrouw met kind" or "Standing Woman with Child," was created by Pieter de Mare between 1777 and 1779 and is currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It strikes me as a remarkably simple composition, almost Spartan. The linearity is dominant, dictating form and even expression, with very little shading or modulation to suggest depth. Curator: Indeed. De Mare’s strategic use of line directs the viewer’s eye, emphasizing the formal qualities of the woman’s posture and the child’s gait. Note how the artist captures a sense of volume without resorting to chiaroscuro, a conscious choice that impacts our reading. The lines work as signifiers pointing to depth, yet also flattening the picture. Editor: The lack of shading adds to its dreamlike or timeless quality. This resonates powerfully as a motif of universal motherhood, reduced to elemental shapes. What do you make of the fact that they seem to be looking in different directions? Curator: An intriguing point. Perhaps, and speculatively, this signifies distinct trajectories—the child absorbed in immediate experience, while the woman is looking towards what is yet to come. Also, the basket, a domestic icon. Are we looking at the archetypal mother and child? The symbol carries the weight of cultural history: nurture, dependency, hope… Editor: Interesting! I would be remiss not to point out the materiality; this Romantic era drawing’s composition on paper and applied with ink seems very modern given that he’s captured not just a physical image, but a fleeting psychological space between the subjects as well as us the viewer. Curator: I would also suggest considering how the limitations imposed by such simplicity also become its strength. It’s through those very constraints that De Mare unlocks deeper resonance. Editor: Precisely! An astute balance between formalism and emotionally-laden symbols… quite evocative, isn't it?