A Woman in Seventeenth-Century Dutch Costume (Study for Eve in Kleist's "Der zerbrochene Krug") 1876 - 1877

Editor: This is Adolph Menzel's sketch, "A Woman in Seventeenth-Century Dutch Costume." It's a study in charcoal, maybe for a theatrical production? What echoes of Dutch Golden Age imagery do you observe here? Curator: The costume immediately evokes that era, but the woman's downcast gaze carries a weight beyond mere historical recreation. Is Menzel perhaps exploring themes of guilt or introspection, prefiguring Eve's role in Kleist's play? What do you make of the second, fainter face? Editor: It's like a ghostly presence, almost a double exposure of her inner thoughts. So Menzel isn't just copying Dutch styles, he's layering psychological depth on top. Curator: Precisely. By referencing the past, Menzel invites us to consider how archetypal narratives continue to shape our understanding of identity and morality. This reminds us of the endurance of symbols.