Vrouw die op een stoel naast een wieg zit 1887 - 1920

Albert Roelofs made this print of a woman sitting on a chair next to a cradle at the turn of the century in the Netherlands. It expresses something of the cultural interest at that time in domestic life and in capturing scenes of everyday life. This image creates meaning through the intimate setting it portrays: a mother watching over her child. We can see that the artist has paid particular attention to the fall of light and shadow in the room, this reflects a wider interest in the relationship between art and the real world. Many artists were questioning academic tradition, looking instead to capture scenes of modern life. They sought to represent the world around them in a truthful and objective way. To understand more about the institutional histories of art, we might look at exhibition reviews from the period, to discover how it was perceived at the time. By understanding the social and institutional context, we gain a deeper insight into the meaning and significance of this seemingly simple image.