Fotoreproductie van Das fromme Madchen 1870 - 1890

This is a photographic reproduction of 'Das fromme Mädchen,' housed in the Rijksmuseum, and created by an anonymous artist. At first glance, we see a woman, eyes lifted towards the heavens, quill in hand as she writes in a book, bathed in soft light near a window. The act of writing itself, especially in a book, carries immense cultural weight. It is the word, and the word is God. In antiquity, writing was a divine gift, and the quill, a symbol of erudition and divine inspiration, is here held by a figure reminiscent of countless depictions of the Virgin Mary. Consider the 'Annunciation' scenes: Mary, often depicted with a book, receiving divine inspiration. But here, our 'mädchen’ seems to be creating, not receiving. This subtle shift speaks to the evolving role of women and the growing importance of literacy and personal devotion. The act of writing becomes a conduit for spiritual expression, a way to inscribe one's soul. The cyclical progression of the symbol of religious practice, through literacy and faith, reinvents itself.