Lezende vrouw met ontblote schouders 1883 - 1917

Maximilien Luce made this print of a reading woman with bare shoulders using etching. The fin-de-siècle era in France saw shifts in societal norms, especially concerning gender roles and public versus private life. Here, the woman is portrayed in a state of undress and engrossed in a book. The lattice behind her suggests an interior, domestic space, but her bare shoulders hint at a sensual freedom that was typically constrained by social expectations. Luce was a known Neo-Impressionist with anarchist leanings, and his work often engaged with the lives of working-class people. In this context, the image can be seen as a challenge to conservative norms, suggesting that women, regardless of their social class, have intellectual and personal lives that should not be repressed. To fully understand Luce’s motivations, it is important to examine the socio-political climate of late 19th-century France and the ways in which artists like him used imagery to comment on those social structures. Examining publications, political pamphlets, and other visual media of the time can provide valuable context.