Heuvellandschap met een houten brug over een waterweg 1834 - 1906

This is a pencil drawing of a landscape with a wooden bridge over a waterway by Maria Vos. Vos was one of the few successful female artists in the Netherlands during the 19th century. As a woman artist, she navigated a male-dominated art world where gender norms often restricted women's access to formal training and professional opportunities. This drawing might be read as an act of asserting her presence and perspective in the landscape tradition, which, at the time, was largely shaped by male artists. Vos's ability to capture the subtle nuances of light and shadow in this piece speaks to her skill. While the drawing presents a seemingly conventional scene, consider the act of a woman artist choosing and representing her environment during a period of social change and evolving gender roles. In representing this landscape, perhaps Vos was also mapping her own place within it.