Vrouw opent voordeurluik 1850

Editor: This is "Woman Opening a Door Hatch" by Anthonie van Volkom, from 1850, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. It has this beautifully aged quality to it, almost like looking at a faded memory. The perspective draws me right into the hallway, but I'm curious about what the woman represents within that space. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Oh, it’s delicious, isn’t it? This print breathes such domestic intimacy, the light filtering in from that high window feels almost like a stage spotlight. The woman herself becomes this enigmatic figure, forever captured in a fleeting moment. I can't help but wonder what she's thinking. Editor: Enigmatic is a great word. I was so focused on the light that I missed that! It gives the scene a theatrical quality. Why do you think Van Volkom chose such an intimate scene as his subject? Curator: Precisely! Mid-19th century, realism was emerging, with artists turning away from grand historical narratives to focus on the everyday lives of ordinary people. Van Volkom wasn't aiming for grandeur, I feel. This is much more an ode to simple human existence, an acknowledgement of the beauty hidden in our daily routines, almost like visual poetry. Editor: I never thought about it as a shift toward everyday life! So it's not just a woman opening a door hatch; it's a commentary on what's considered worthy of art. Curator: Absolutely! The artist has this keen interest in documenting their surroundings and social circumstances, transforming this unassuming scene into a window to the past. What do you make of the contrast between light and shadow, though? Editor: Hmm, the contrast almost heightens that sense of mystery... a suggestion that not everything is what it seems at first glance. Curator: Exactly. It might encourage us to explore and probe into all the unseen aspects of a composition and into ourselves, too! Now what I am wondering is this bench on the left - what exactly is on that seat? Editor: Goodness, I did not see that. It looks like, perhaps, two cats, curled and sleeping. Curator: I wonder why they are there... Regardless, looking at this again has me yearning to know what the smell of that hallway would have been and makes me realize I need more of this genre in my life. Editor: Yes! Me too. Thank you for bringing a new point of view to this engraving!