Man en vrouwen aan tafel 1855 - 1873

Alexander Ver Huell made this print called ‘Man en Vrouwen aan Tafel’ using etching. It's now in the Rijksmuseum collection. This image, titled ‘The Cookbook’, is a window into 19th-century Dutch domestic life, reflecting the social roles and expectations of men and women. The etching, with its detailed interior, suggests a rising middle class, keen to display their status through household management. Ver Huell presents a satirical commentary on gender dynamics. The man, animated and assertive, seems to be instructing the woman, perhaps about household management or accounting, while another figure sleeps, oblivious to it all. This could critique the patriarchal norms of the time, where men dictated domestic affairs. To fully grasp the image, one could look into the popular print culture of the Netherlands at the time. What role did humour play in social commentary? How did institutions like the art market and the press shape the production and reception of such images? These are vital questions to ask when looking at such artworks.