Vrouw met schort 1840 - 1880

Johannes Tavenraat made this watercolor of a woman with an apron in the Netherlands in the first half of the 19th century. Tavenraat made many drawings of people in their traditional costumes. Images such as this, from this period, speak to the growing awareness of national identity and the rise of the middle class. By creating these images of working-class citizens in regional dress, the artist offers us a window into the daily life of the common person. It is telling that it was made with watercolor. At the time, watercolor was considered a casual medium used for studies and landscapes, not the serious medium of oil paint used for portraits of the elite. We can use sources such as fashion plates, social surveys, and economic reports to develop a more complete picture of the social context for this artwork. By understanding more about the context, we can interpret its meaning more fully.