Woman Reading 1634

Curator: Here we see Rembrandt van Rijn's "Woman Reading," an etching dating from 1634. I'm immediately drawn to the stillness, the contemplative hush that radiates from the piece. Editor: I see that, but my first thought is about access to knowledge. A woman engrossed in a book at this time signifies a level of privilege and perhaps even subversion, depending on what she is reading. What does the image convey about gender and literacy? Curator: Interesting. Consider the turban— a common trope in Rembrandt’s oeuvre representing exoticism or perhaps referencing biblical narratives. Is it merely a prop, or is there a deeper symbolic resonance? He frequently reused costumes and props throughout his painting and etching. Editor: Right. This 'exotic' garb was often used to signify 'otherness' but what does that signify when placed on a European woman? Who did this orientalism serve? There’s also her absorbed posture, though. Rembrandt presents her intellectual autonomy— a bold move within the gendered constraints of 17th-century society. Curator: The dramatic chiaroscuro— Rembrandt's signature use of light and shadow—further heightens the sense of drama. It adds not only texture, but emphasizes specific compositional features, as well as infusing an emotional intensity within this intimate moment. We see her brow furrowed slightly. What story is held within the book and her reaction? Editor: Indeed, it makes you wonder what exactly she's reading. But also consider the act of representing a woman reading at a time when literacy wasn't universal, it pushes boundaries of gender and intellect. She becomes an active participant in the world of ideas. Curator: In examining "Woman Reading" we can acknowledge the artwork and, simultaneously, probe the symbolic vocabulary that Rembrandt uses in order to find meaning within the image. Editor: Agreed. Situating the image of a reading woman within both a historical framework allows us to grapple with her own engagement, as well as ours with her representation and what that representation allows us to infer about her time.