Staande boerenmeisje met stok 1841 - 1857

This is 'Standing Peasant Girl with Stick', painted in the mid-19th century by Johan Daniël Koelman. It's an oil on paper, a traditional medium, but one that Koelman used in a very direct and unpretentious way. The paint application is quite thin and was likely made en plein air. You can feel the immediacy of the artist's encounter with his subject. The choice of focusing on a commoner reflects a broader artistic interest in the lives of ordinary people during a period of social and economic change. The work's material qualities, from the visible brushstrokes to the earthy tones, draw attention to the sheer labor of agricultural life. Koelman invites us to contemplate the dignity and resilience of those who work the land, and to consider the value of their contributions to society. So, in the end, this is more than just a painting. It's a social statement, made with humble materials, elevated through the act of representation.