Portret van de moeder van de kunstenaar, Mevrouw S. Roland Holst-Posthumus 1895

Richard Nicolaüs Roland Holst made this pencil drawing of his mother in 1895. Holst’s portrait of his mother provides an intimate glimpse into the domestic life of a Dutch intellectual family at the end of the 19th century. The drawing, with its subtle rendering of light and shadow, reflects the influence of the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists known for their realist style and interest in everyday subjects. What does it mean to portray one's mother? Here we might pause to consider the social role of women in the Netherlands at this time, especially the importance of motherhood within middle-class culture. The Rijksmuseum archives might give us a closer view of the family, but the drawing itself invites a more focused art historical analysis. Was Holst challenging or upholding conventional representations of women, and how did his artistic choices reflect broader cultural values and gender norms?