Buste van een oude vrouw 1803 - 1842

Anthonie Willem Hendrik Nolthenius de Man made this etching, "Buste van een oude vrouw", in the first half of the 19th century. Nolthenius de Man lived through the rise and fall of Napoleon, and his work exists in the long shadow of the French Revolution. Here, the artist presents us with a bust of an old woman, who appears to be from the working class. She has a shawl over her head, and her gaze is directed downwards, creating an atmosphere of sorrow. The French Revolution changed the way we thought about citizenship and the role of women, especially poor women. The emotional intensity of this image and its focus on a woman who might otherwise be ignored, asks us to consider the impact of these historical shifts on individual lives. It reminds us of the complex interplay between public events and private experience, and the ways in which art can make visible those who are often unseen.