Figuurstudie c. 1863

This is a pencil sketch of a woman carrying a load, by Cornelis Springer, a Dutch artist born in the early 19th century. The drawing style is loose, economical, and suggestive of the artist's interest in the everyday lives of ordinary people. Looking at this image, what does it tell us about the social context of the time? The Netherlands was a society undergoing significant change, with growing industrialization and urbanization. This image appears to represent the artist's desire to record the lives of those who were often overlooked or ignored by mainstream society. It offers us a glimpse into the hard labor and daily lives of the working class. Understanding the social context of the time helps us to appreciate the role of art as a means of social commentary and historical documentation. For further research, we can explore archival material to learn more about the lives of working-class people in the Netherlands during the 19th century.