Luierende vrouw in een landschap 1829 - 1894

Gerrit Postma rendered 'Luierende vrouw in een landschap' in graphite. There's a tension between the woman's apparent ease and the way she has been framed in this landscape. The term 'luierend' itself hints at a particular construction of femininity—passive, available for observation, and unburdened by labor. The drawing invites us to consider the relationship between women and leisure, and how that relationship often intersects with class and societal expectations. Postma, working in a society undergoing significant changes, likely saw these figures as embodying certain bourgeois ideals. Yet, the sketch also offers a personal moment, a quiet reflection on rest and repose. In viewing this drawing, we are prompted to think about the lives of women in the 19th century, the roles they were expected to fulfill, and the spaces—both physical and psychological—they occupied. It's a poignant reminder of the ways in which gender, class, and environment can shape our understanding of freedom and constraint.