Studieblad, onder andere met een staande vrouw in een lang gewaad 1849 - 1917

This is a pencil sketch by Matthijs Maris, entitled "Studieblad, onder andere met een staande vrouw in een lang gewaad" which is Dutch for "Study sheet, including a standing woman in a long robe," currently held at the Rijksmuseum. Maris was part of the Hague School, a group of Dutch artists active in the second half of the 19th century. They reacted against the academic art of the time by focusing on landscapes and everyday scenes. But this sketch reveals an artist also exploring the figure. This drawing might reflect the artist's place within the art institution and his experimentation with traditional subjects, the figure in this case. Maris probably made this sketch as a study for a more finished work, or simply as an exercise to improve his skills. By examining Maris's work and the context in which it was created, we can gain a better understanding of the artistic and social forces that shaped his work.