Reading girl 

August Lucas sketched “Reading Girl” with pencil on paper sometime in the 19th century. Lucas, who was born in 1803, lived in a time when access to education and literature was becoming increasingly valued. The act of reading, especially for women, was seen as a sign of intellect and social standing. Here, the girl is composed and serene, but she is also closed off and inaccessible. Lucas’s sketch leaves us to wonder what's in the book she is so focused on, and whether her access to literacy challenges the gender norms of the time. Although the sketch is simple, it’s a striking reminder of how education can be a pathway to personal freedom and empowerment. In our current context, it prompts us to think about who has access to education, who is encouraged to seek it, and the transformative power of the written word.