Interior with a man reading and a woman spinning yarn 1660 - 1676

Domenicus van Tol painted this interior scene in the Dutch Republic. He likely aimed to capture an everyday domestic life. In this space, a woman spins yarn, while a man sits reading. But what stories lie behind these roles? The woman is actively spinning yarn, a task historically assigned to women of the time. Her work enabled economic stability and a modest lifestyle. The man, perhaps benefiting from her labor, indulges in the privilege of literacy and leisure. The gendered division of labor is clear, yet it’s the woman’s labor that quietly sustains the household. We can read the picture as an allegory of the power dynamics inherent in 17th century domestic life. This artwork reflects both the visible and invisible labors, the stories read, and those that remain unwritten.