Vrouw met ontbloot bovenlijf op een stoel 1874

This is an anonymous etching at the Rijksmuseum titled, "Woman with bare torso on a chair." The absence of the artist’s name invites us to consider the historical circumstances that may have led to their anonymity. Was the artist a woman, perhaps constrained by social norms that discouraged female artists from seeking recognition? Or did the subject matter—a woman with her breasts exposed, wearing a corset—necessitate a veil of secrecy? Corsets were a fashion necessity at the time, but were also seen as instruments of control over women's bodies. We are left to wonder about the model’s agency. Is she complicit in the gaze, or is there a sense of vulnerability in her posture? How does the artist negotiate the power dynamics inherent in depicting a partially nude subject? This image invites us to reflect on the complex interplay of gender, sexuality, and representation in the history of art.