Portret van een onbekende oude vrouw 1877 - 1890

Henriëtte de Vries made this portrait of an unknown old woman in the late 19th or early 20th century, using etching techniques. It’s a stark image, focusing on the dignity and perhaps the hardship etched on the woman’s face. De Vries, working in the Netherlands, likely encountered the visual codes of Dutch Masters, where the working classes were sympathetically depicted. In this period, the role of women in art was expanding, with more female artists exploring the lives and experiences of other women. The woman's dress and head covering place her firmly within a specific socio-economic context. Was de Vries commenting on the conditions of aging women in Dutch society, or perhaps challenging the art world's focus on youth and beauty? As historians, we can delve into archives, social records, and feminist art histories to better understand the artist's intentions, and the painting’s reception. Only then, can we appreciate the ways this portrait challenged or reinforced the existing social structures.