Jongenskop en een staande vrouw met een waaier 1865 - 1913

This is a pencil drawing by Bramine Hubrecht, now held in the Rijksmuseum, featuring a young boy's head and a standing woman with a fan. Note the fan. In the late 19th century, a fan was not merely an object of utility, but a potent symbol, a silent language in the hands of a woman. We can trace this motif back through history, from ancient Egyptian depictions of royalty using fans as symbols of status and power to their use in classical antiquity and beyond. The gesture of holding a fan close, as seen here, might subtly speak of coyness, secret thoughts, or a desire for privacy. Like the mask in ancient drama, it conceals and reveals. How intriguing that this simple object can invoke such a rich tapestry of cultural and psychological associations, hinting at the complex interplay of social codes and personal expression.