Spinnende vrouw 1868 - 1892

Anthon Gerhard Alexander van Rappard sketched "Spinning Woman" using pencil and paper in the late 19th century. Rappard, who came from a privileged background, dedicated himself to representing the lives of laborers and the rural poor. Here, he depicts a woman working a spinning wheel. Consider the labor, often unseen and undervalued, performed by women in both domestic and economic spheres. The spinning wheel itself stands as a symbol of this labor, a tool that transforms raw materials into usable goods through repetitive, physical work. Rappard's choice of subject reflects broader social concerns of his time, a period marked by industrialization and urbanization, yet it also provides an intimate glimpse into the daily life of a woman whose story might otherwise go unrecorded. The sketch invites us to contemplate the dignity and resilience of those who sustain their communities through their labor.