Vrouw met een kind op het strand 1881 - 1927

Johan Antonie de Jonge made this watercolor called "Vrouw met een kind op het strand," or "Woman with a Child on the Beach," around the turn of the century. De Jonge lived at a time when the roles of women in society were being questioned and redefined. Here, we see a woman bending over, perhaps attending to her child, who is clad in a bright red dress. The scene is intimate, yet the figures are somewhat obscured, rendered with swift, fluid brushstrokes. This lack of detail invites us to consider the universal experiences of motherhood. The beach setting, traditionally a place of leisure and freedom, contrasts with the implied labor and constant attention associated with childcare. De Jonge captures a quiet moment, one that acknowledges both the joys and demands inherent in the role of caregiver. It's a portrayal that resonates with the complex realities of women's lives, their personal desires interwoven with societal expectations.