Vrouw houdt man uit het zicht voor andere man 1821 - 1828

Charles Philipon created this lithograph titled "Vrouw houdt man uit het zicht voor andere man" sometime in the 19th century. The scene is ripe with gestures pointing to secrecy and social intrigue. A woman stands in a doorway, one arm raised in a gesture of polite yet firm deflection towards a gentleman caller in a top hat and cane, while with the other she subtly blocks the doorway, concealing a man lurking inside. The raised hand, a symbol we see echoed across Renaissance paintings in scenes of annunciation or confrontation, is here twisted. Rather than a sign of divine message or assertive truth, it signals a social lie, a delicate dance of deception. The cane, a phallic symbol of authority and status, appears bent, hinting at the ridiculousness of the man’s position outside the door. The furtive figure concealed in the shadows echoes back to the Renaissance motif of the "hidden saint". But instead of divine protection, here the concealment signifies shame. Philipon captures a moment of precarious social balance, where gestures and symbols betray the underlying tensions. The motifs we see, drawn from historical wells, are reborn in this satirical light.