Lezende man en vrouw naast een tafel 1874

Willem Cornelis Rip created this pencil drawing of a man and woman reading beside a table sometime during his lifetime, between 1856 and 1922. During this time, traditional gender roles in European society dictated that men occupy the public sphere and women the domestic one. Here, we see a woman in a bonnet, presumably inside the home, reading alongside a man with a full beard. They both look to be of an older age. The drawing evokes a sense of quiet domesticity but also subtly challenges established norms. The act of reading, often associated with knowledge and intellectual pursuits, is shared between the sexes. Consider how Rip, as a male artist, chose to depict this shared moment. Does it suggest a shift in societal attitudes, or is it simply a reflection of his personal ideals? This drawing invites us to consider the evolving roles of men and women during a period of significant social change, while subtly engaging with themes of aging and shared experience.