Oude vrouw met een stok Possibly 1874

Cornelis Springer made this drawing of an old woman with a stick using graphite. It is currently in the Rijksmuseum. Springer was active in the Netherlands during the 19th century, a period of significant social change and growing awareness of poverty. The image presents us with visual codes of aging, and it refers to the historical association of old age with wisdom but also with poverty and marginalization. The woman's clothing suggests a life of hardship, whilst the walking stick becomes a symbol of vulnerability. During this period, poverty was increasingly seen as a social problem. Springer's choice to depict an elderly woman in such a state invites viewers to reflect on the social conditions that led to her circumstances. To truly understand this drawing, further research into 19th-century Dutch social policies and attitudes toward the elderly is useful. This artwork serves as a reminder that art is not created in a vacuum, but is deeply intertwined with the social and institutional contexts of its time.