Werkende vrouwen op de akker 1871 - 1906

Editor: So, here we have “Working Women in the Field” by Pieter de Josselin de Jong, a drawing in pencil and pen from somewhere between 1871 and 1906. There’s something very…grounded about it, literally and figuratively. The women are toiling, close to the earth. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: It’s a dance, isn't it? These figures bowed, almost melting into the land. Josselin de Jong captures something profound, wouldn't you agree, a real rhythm of labor and landscape. You feel the weight of their world on their shoulders. Editor: A dance! I like that. I was so focused on the labor aspect that I didn't think about movement. I also like that this is just a study. The artist must have been captivated by the everyday scene. Curator: Exactly. He wasn’t chasing grand narratives. Instead, it's this intimacy, almost stolen moments, that draw me in. Do you feel the quiet observation? There’s dignity in that toil. Editor: Definitely. There’s also the inset down in the lower left corner, a quick miniature version of the scene…it almost feels like he's figuring out the composition, experimenting with different perspectives. Curator: A memory trying to surface, perhaps? I feel Josselin de Jong invites us to acknowledge and see. What stories do you think these women hold within? Editor: It makes me wonder about their lives outside the field, their families, their dreams. There's a real empathy in that observation, don’t you think? Thanks for broadening how I considered this. Curator: And you, for drawing out that inherent mystery! Every sketch is a conversation, a feeling expressed through line and tone. I shall remember the empathy and mystery going forward!