Lezende dame en bordurend meisje, van voren gezien, in het huis aan de Riouwstraat 6, te Den Haag 1872 - 1950

Editor: This watercolor, "Lezende dame en bordurend meisje, van voren gezien, in het huis aan de Riouwstraat 6, te Den Haag", made sometime between 1872 and 1950 by Barbara Elisabeth van Houten, has a strangely calming effect on me. I mean, nothing much is happening. It's not grand, but almost painfully quiet, like a memory fading at the edges. What captures your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: The very act of noticing that quietude, that’s where the magic begins, doesn’t it? It pulls you in. The hazy washes, they almost whisper, demanding you lean closer to hear the untold stories. For me, it's this incredibly tender portrayal of domesticity. Look at the light, almost caressing their faces as they lose themselves in their individual crafts. I wonder what their relationship is, don't you? Are they sisters, mother and daughter? Editor: I do, now that you mention it! Is it my imagination, or are their dresses significant? The reader is wearing what looks to be a very sober black or dark blue, while the sewing woman wears white with shades of beige, which I believe means a symbol of purity or peace? Curator: It absolutely *could* be read that way, the dark and light clothing, as opposing states. Or, perhaps, it could speak of practicality! The light, reflecting off of the needlework onto her face while she meticulously performs her art; or, vice versa, of one resigned to be more serious-minded due to circumstances. One way to consider symbolism and intimacy that's always resonant with me is how one defines ‘home’, in whatever circumstances one dwells within. This intimacy echoes the Dutch Masters but with a more vulnerable touch, don't you agree? Editor: I definitely see the Dutch Master connection now. It makes me rethink what “important” art is… it doesn't have to be a grand battle scene to evoke something profound, it seems. Curator: Exactly! Sometimes, it's in the everyday, the quiet moments, that we find the greatest resonance, *n'est-ce pas*?