Compositie met hoofd van een oude vrouw, een hand en een kruik 1833 - 1891

Editor: So, here we have Théodule Ribot's etching, "Compositie met hoofd van een oude vrouw, een hand en een kruik," dating from 1833 to 1891, housed here at the Rijksmuseum. There’s a melancholic feel to this piece – almost like a memory fading away. What catches your eye? Curator: Ah, yes, "Composition with the Head of an Old Woman, a Hand, and a Jug" – what a mouthful! But like memories, isn't art about piecing together fragments? Ribot, known for his realism, presents this woman not as some grand figure, but worn, thoughtful, and very, very present, wouldn’t you say? The composition is simple, isn't it? Editor: It is! And I wonder what she is doing. Is it ordinary for Ribot to portray women like this? Curator: Ordinary in that he captured ordinary souls, absolutely! There’s an honesty to it that rejects idealized beauty, don't you think? What do the placement of hand, jug and grapes around it tell us about the figure and setting that Ribot's capturing here? It seems she is reaching toward a simple, almost impoverished still-life, framed by old age... but perhaps, too, a hard-won dignity. Editor: That makes sense. The stark realism, and the muted tones of the etching emphasize that simplicity. What have you learned about Ribot's realism through your relationship with the etching medium? Curator: Etching really lets the artist expose the vulnerability of a moment. The detail, though, also lets us see her strength too, like seeing those values expressed in an etching style for the first time! Editor: Indeed. It’s incredible how much a glimpse of reality can communicate.