Vrouw op de rug gezien, spelend op een spinet 1911

Peter Ilsted created this print of a woman playing the spinet during the late 19th or early 20th century. She sits with her back to us in front of a piano under a portrait, playing for an unseen audience. The most striking motif here is the woman’s turned back. Since antiquity, artists have used the Rückenfigur, or “back figure,” to invite viewers to identify with a character and project their emotions onto the scene. This echoes in Caspar David Friedrich's landscapes, where figures turn away, beckoning us to contemplate nature’s sublimity. The spinet is also significant. In domestic scenes, the instrument can represent harmony, leisure, and the cultivation of the arts within the home. Yet, here, its presence evokes a sense of melancholy and introspection. The turned back and the instrument weave together, stirring memories of shared human experiences, loss and nostalgia. They are emotions that transcend the boundaries of time.