Lezende dame in chaise longue in een interieur 1856 - 1925

Charles Albert Waltner created this etching titled 'Lezende dame in chaise longue in een interieur', portraying a woman reclining indoors. The image provides a glimpse into the domestic sphere and hints at the sitter’s social standing, situated in what appears to be a well-appointed interior. During this period, images of women in domestic settings were laden with expectations and assumptions about their roles and status within society. Consider how the sitter is posed—reclined and absorbed in reading, suggesting leisure and intellectual pursuits. This representation moves beyond traditional depictions of women solely in relation to their domestic duties. Waltner’s composition invites us to consider the tension between the sitter’s private world and the external gaze. The viewer becomes a voyeur, privy to a moment of introspection. How does this positioning affect our understanding of her identity and agency? Does the scene reflect an emerging narrative of women seeking intellectual and emotional fulfillment?