Gezicht op het Louvre vanaf de Quai de l'École 1867

Maria Vos, a Dutch artist, made this drawing of the Louvre from the Quai de l'École. In the 19th century, becoming an established female artist required both talent and a strategic negotiation of social constraints. Vos, who came from a well-to-do family, gained access to artistic training and patronage networks that were often out of reach for women of lower economic status. This sketch, with its focus on architectural detail and perspective, reflects a commitment to the academic style, but it's worth wondering what it meant for a woman to set up her easel in public. Was she seen as a professional, an interloper, or simply rendered invisible? Vos navigates these questions by creating this drawing, offering us a glimpse into her perspective, and the world as she saw it.