Oude vrouw met een kat op schoot 1877 - 1909

Louise Danse created this etching of an old woman with a cat on her lap at the turn of the 20th century. It evokes the quiet domesticity, but also perhaps the solitude, of old age. Danse was a Belgian artist, one of many women who found artistic expression in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, aided by the rise of art schools that admitted female students. In this work, we see the strong influence of Impressionism in the loose etching lines. The image derives its meaning from a long artistic tradition in Europe of portraying the elderly as figures of wisdom or, alternatively, objects of pity. However, in choosing an intimate domestic scene, Danse avoids the cliché of the old woman as a figure of public significance. To fully appreciate this work, we need to consider its place within the social and institutional context of its time. Research into the artistic training that Danse received and the social status of women artists in Belgium, would allow us to better understand this tender and intimate portrayal.