Two Women 17th-18th century

Editor: We’re looking at "Two Women," a pencil drawing on paper, created sometime in the 17th or 18th century. It’s an anonymous work held at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The figures seem so serious, even mournful. What strikes you most about this piece? Curator: What jumps out at me is the way the artist depicts power dynamics within gendered spaces. This drawing, though seemingly simple, could be hinting at the limited roles available to women and the restrictions they faced in expressing themselves. Who do you think these women were, and what might their relationship be? Is one subservient to the other? Editor: I hadn’t thought about it in terms of power. One woman is looking down, holding what looks like writing tools or a feathered fan, while the other stares straight ahead, quite assertive. Curator: Exactly! What about their garments? Their simplicity might signal a certain social class, perhaps one where they had to negotiate their own agency within strict societal rules. And look at the inscription marks. The codes suggest they may have had different meanings within their restricted lives, perhaps hidden acts of literacy or silent acts of solidarity with one another, but erased in this drawing for later viewers. Editor: So you see them possibly resisting those limitations through subtle actions and hidden messages within the drawing? Curator: It’s possible. Remember, even seemingly innocuous depictions of women can unveil silent revolutions against societal norms when you scratch beneath the surface. By refusing to adhere to established ways, those women, both as subjects in this work and also as part of its making, claim and reclaim some sense of individuality. Editor: That’s fascinating! It changes the way I see this drawing entirely, it has so many complexities when you consider history. I’ll definitely be approaching art with a different perspective now. Curator: Remember that art doesn't exist in a vacuum. The context shapes everything! It’s a lesson I'm constantly relearning.