Handwerkende vrouw en een meisje 1854 - 1914

Albert Neuhuys made this drawing, 'Handwerkende vrouw en een meisje,' using graphite on paper. It’s a quick study, but it offers a glimpse into the world of women's labor, and the passing on of skills from one generation to the next. The material itself, graphite, is key to understanding the image: it allows for a range of tones and effects, from the softest shadow to a sharper line. But it is also a relatively inexpensive medium, suited to sketches made in preparation for more elaborate works. Neuhuys has used it here to capture the essence of women's work, focusing on the making activity. The composition directs our attention to their hands, engaged in the repetitive actions of needlework, and the ways that processes like these have historically bound women to the domestic sphere. It is a poignant reminder that art is as much about labor and social context as it is about aesthetics, challenging traditional notions of high art by grounding itself in the everyday realities of working-class life.