De krabbers in de katoenververij 1868 - 1892

Anthon van Rappard made this drawing of cotton mill workers using pencil on paper sometime in the 19th century. It depicts labourers at work within the confines of a cotton mill, likely in the Netherlands, where Rappard lived and worked. The scene is rendered in stark lines, emphasizing the repetitive and physically demanding nature of their labor. The muted tones and cramped composition evoke the harsh realities of industrial work. The architecture looms over the workers, dwarfing them. The artist's interest in depicting the working class reflects a broader trend in 19th-century European art, in which Realist artists focused on the lives of ordinary people as a commentary on the social structures of their time. By looking into the institutional history of cotton mills we might understand more about these working conditions. This artwork serves as a powerful reminder of the social and economic forces that shaped the lives of countless individuals during the Industrial Revolution.