Theekransje 1889 - 1944

Herman Moerkerk made this drawing, called "Theekransje," with graphite and colored pencil. The title is Dutch, and it translates to "tea party" in English. Looking at this work, one wonders what sort of social dynamics are at play in this scene, which seems to depict affluent women gathered for tea, perhaps in the Netherlands? The fashions indicate a date in the early twentieth century. The hats with feathers and elaborate trimming, the high-necked dresses, and the covered hair all speak to the codes of bourgeois femininity in Europe at that time. The artist has shown the women from the back, turning them away from our gaze. This could be read as a critique of this social set, and the drawing emphasizes a sort of conformity or homogeneity in their appearance. To understand this work better, we might look at other examples of Moerkerk's drawings and paintings, as well as social histories of Dutch culture in this period. What emerges is that "Theekransje" can be read as a social commentary on the rituals of middle-class life.