Vrouw met een stoof 1648 - 1677

Harmen ter Borch sketched this woman with a foot stove using pen in the Netherlands, likely sometime in the 1660s. The drawing offers a glimpse into the everyday life and social customs of the Dutch Golden Age. The foot stove was a common household item, especially during the colder months. It consisted of a perforated box containing a small pot filled with hot coals and was a sign of wealth and status, representing the comfort and warmth afforded by a relatively affluent society. The woman’s dress and posture also suggest a certain social standing. The artwork invites us to consider the role of art in capturing and reflecting the values and realities of a particular time. Scholarly research into domestic objects and social etiquette of the 17th-century Netherlands, along with analysis of similar genre scenes, help contextualize this image. The historian's task is to recover the full meaning of art through contextual research.