Schets van een staande vrouw 1865 - 1922

Curator: This is "Schets van een staande vrouw," or "Sketch of a Standing Woman," by Suze Robertson. She worked on it sometime between 1865 and 1922. The piece is rendered in pencil and charcoal. Editor: My first impression is one of introspection. The woman's downcast gaze and the somber palette evoke a sense of melancholy, or perhaps quiet resignation. Curator: I agree. The loose, expressive lines lend themselves well to communicating states of interiority. And, the way she obscures the woman's face is evocative. You see only the form, and yet a mood emanates from her stance, the set of her shoulders. Editor: Exactly. We can’t ignore the socio-political backdrop during the period Robertson was producing this work. Think of the rigid gender roles, and the expectations placed upon women to be docile and submissive. Her posture could be interpreted as a subtle rebellion, a quiet act of defiance in the face of these pressures. Curator: It's interesting to consider how Robertson might be drawing on established artistic conventions, and, subverting them. Images of women from this time were so loaded, and coded. Editor: Precisely! It makes you consider the artist's intentions in choosing such a seemingly vulnerable pose, yet imbuing it with a palpable strength. Were the female figures Robertson creates symbols of their lived realities? Are they merely expressions? Or were they tools for a new symbolic understanding? Curator: Also note the blending of detail and abstraction. Notice the figure is more clearly defined near the upper body, softening out around the base near what looks like a stool. Editor: That technique really focuses our attention and adds to the weightiness of the depiction. Well, considering this piece within Robertson's larger body of work really highlights her commitment to portraying the dignity of ordinary people. Curator: Indeed, considering this sketch within the tapestry of late 19th and early 20th century realism helps us understand both its emotional impact, and lasting symbolic power.