Mevrouw Storm van 's Gravesande geboren Clifford met haar dochter in het park van Bieberich 1895

Carel Nicolaas Storm van 's-Gravesande created this watercolor titled 'Mevrouw Storm van 's Gravesande geboren Clifford met haar dochter in het park van Bieberich'. The qualities of watercolor lend themselves beautifully to landscape painting. See how the thin washes of pigment give the scene its hazy, summery light. The artist expertly exploits the transparency of the material, layering different tones to create depth and shadow. This would have been considered a particularly feminine technique at the time, more closely associated with the domestic sphere than with the high-art studio. But, it's also important to remember that the making of paper, pigment, and brushes were all industrially organized by the 19th century. And of course, the scene itself speaks to a life of leisure made possible by capitalism. Paying attention to the material qualities and social context of this watercolor helps us move beyond traditional categories, recognizing the complex interplay of art, craft, and commerce in everyday life.