Brief aan Jan Veth before 1886

This letter, penned by Jacoba Cornelia Jolles-Singels to Jan Veth, offers us a glimpse into the social and economic realities of 19th-century Dutch society. Jolles-Singels, a woman artist writing to a prominent art critic, reveals layers of personal reliance and social interplay. The letter hints at transactions—promises to help, mentions of money owed and received—revealing the economic precarity that many artists, particularly women, faced at the time. Jolles-Singels navigates her position in a world where artistic success and financial stability were often intertwined with social connections and personal favors. She writes "Kom morgen maar by my eten, als gij geen verhinderig" - "Come eat with me tomorrow if you are not prevented". This everyday correspondence opens a window into the intersection of gender, class, and artistic pursuit, exposing both the intimate networks of support and the systemic challenges that shaped women's artistic practices and personal lives.