Huizen te Scheveningen en vrouwen in Scheveningse dracht c. 1873

Curator: This sketch is "Houses in Scheveningen and Women in Scheveningen Costume," penciled by Johannes Bosboom around 1873. Look at the fleeting nature of the lines, capturing both place and the everyday lives of these women. Editor: Immediately, it strikes me as melancholic. The grey pencil strokes, the figures hunched and small against the backdrop of what appears to be a harsh, coastal landscape… there’s a sense of resignation, or perhaps simply quiet perseverance. Curator: Exactly! It's so Dutch in a way. No grandstanding. Just getting on with things. What is so masterful, though, is the impression he conjures up with so few lines. I wonder what drew Bosboom to capture this village? Editor: Well, Scheveningen had a fascinating position at this time. It was growing as a fishing village while simultaneously gentrifying as a seaside resort for the wealthy. The drawing really draws my focus to these women—most likely laborers connected to the fishing industry—maybe to highlight that contrast. We're not looking at holidaymakers here. Curator: Oh, for sure. And you can see the realism coming through even in the figures sketched floating on top. They don’t look like elegant portraits at all! He clearly wanted to depict authentic figures and real scenes rather than something prettified for polite society. Editor: Their anonymity makes them almost allegorical too. Each tiny, quickly drawn body hints at a story of gendered labor and survival against a very specific locale—but stories that resonate through time and place. We’re left wondering about their daily struggles. What’s the cost of living, literally by the sea? Curator: Gosh. Yes! I can feel the chilly sea air coming off this page. The drawing is raw, honest, and evokes, through incredibly nimble rendering, an introspective meditation. Bosboom saw the beauty in ordinary things and shared it with us. Editor: It's a potent reminder of the labor that builds these kinds of seaside tourist locations. What lies behind the pretty facade of a holiday spot? It’s powerful stuff. Curator: A few pencil strokes that tell such rich stories. Thank you for opening my eyes a bit more, that’s exactly why I adore having these discussions! Editor: Always a pleasure, I am walking away from this simple drawing contemplating socio-economic class in 19th-century seaside towns!