Luisterende jonge vrouw 1839 - 1879

Curator: Here we have Florent Nicolas Crabeels's "Luisterende jonge vrouw," or "Listening Young Woman," a pencil drawing from the mid-19th century. Editor: It has a charming delicacy. She seems frozen in a moment, head cocked as if listening intently, perhaps overhearing something scandalous. Curator: It's an interesting glimpse into 19th-century genre painting, focusing on scenes of everyday life. Consider the context of these scenes being sketched onto paper using only pencil work. The romantic style is also clear in the expressiveness Crabeels coveys. Editor: Yes, but it also seems quite theatrical. The costume looks elaborate, almost staged. How would the work and leisure balance of a subject have shifted for a scene such as this? Curator: It speaks to the socio-economic role of costume, perhaps. This is clearly not work-wear. What is interesting is Crabeels' choice of pencil as a medium. The very immediacy of sketching allowed an accessibility and potentially new markets to grow. The means of production influence who could own art. Editor: That's true, it makes me wonder about its initial intended audience. Was this a study for a larger painting or something meant for sale as is? And I do notice a strong line between how free and easily accessible is Crabeels' technique is, versus how highly constructed her apparel appears. Curator: Perhaps it offers insight into the accessibility that art making gave artists during times of upheaval and social progress. New exhibition possibilities were growing during this time, perhaps pencil drawings filled a space within them. Editor: That certainly opens a perspective regarding both the drawing's subject and its broader history in this period. I now imagine it moving from artist's studio to parlor room in this format. Curator: Indeed. Analyzing it, one is drawn back to the moment of its making and its potential reception with entirely fresh perspective. Editor: Agreed.