Zittende oude dame met muts 1861 - 1935

Curator: This pen and ink sketch is titled "Zittende oude dame met muts," or "Seated Old Woman with a Bonnet." Its artist, Joan Berg, worked between 1861 and 1935. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the fragility suggested by those delicate lines, especially around her face and the tentative rendering of her clasped hands. It has a quiet melancholy. Curator: The loose cross-hatching builds volume, and that hatching really directs our eyes to the figure’s face, framed by the dark bonnet and contrasted with the lightness of her clothing. What statements might the material itself make, as just pen and ink on paper? Editor: Given Berg’s dates, it seems to place this drawing in the midst of increasing industrialization and the proliferation of cheaper papers and inks. Was it created, consumed, and distributed widely as a result? I also notice the economical lines indicating fabric; considering that making textiles was typically women's work, and a domestic craft at the time, it begs the question: What were her garments actually made of? The lines suggest a coarse material. Is Berg showing the lived reality of this woman? Curator: Intriguing questions. Formally speaking, the very quickness and efficiency of the marks is paramount here, making it quite dynamic. Semiotically, one could say the darkness around her face conveys the weight of lived experiences in a society which marginalizes its older members. Editor: It’s clear Berg has closely observed this sitter, choosing to record what they saw, with great delicacy, despite the simplicity of the material used. This focus pulls me into her personal reality. She becomes more than just an idea of "old woman." This drawing preserves, records and, arguably, honours that experience of her lived world. Curator: Yes, by paying such close attention to form, this ink sketch elevates the individual to the universal, which really resonates beyond its material constraints. Editor: By focusing on the materials available to both subject and artist, as well as their historical context, we can enrich our view and perhaps move closer to knowing her world.