Vrouw achter een weefgetouw 1865 - 1913

This drawing by Bramine Hubrecht depicts a woman behind a loom. Hubrecht was active in a period when there were growing discussions around women and work. In the 19th century, women were often confined to domestic roles, and their labor was undervalued. Here, the woman is depicted engaged in textile production, which was often relegated to the domestic sphere, and largely done by women. The loom becomes a framework for the drawing, and a visual barrier. The fine lines give a sense of the labor-intensive nature of weaving, while the partial view obscures the woman’s identity, blurring the line between the individual and the repetitive labor. Hubrecht's choice to depict this scene invites us to consider the lives and contributions of working women, their identities, and the complex interplay between gender, labor, and representation during this transformative period.