Old Woman with a Stick c. 17th century

Editor: This is Pieter Jansz. Quast's "Old Woman with a Stick." She looks burdened, almost defeated. What stands out to you in this etching? Curator: The stick is key. It's more than support; it's a symbol of pilgrimage, of enduring hardship. See how it echoes the bare trees behind her? Is she an outcast, or a figure carrying collective memory of difficult times? Editor: So, her image evokes something beyond just individual hardship? Curator: Precisely. Consider also her basket—empty or full of meager gleanings? Quast invites us to contemplate the shared burdens of life. What do you think? Editor: It's heavier than I initially thought; I see how symbols deepen the narrative.