Vrouw met bloemenmand in tuin 1732 - 1776

Gilles Demarteau made this print using the crayon manner technique, a style of engraving that imitates drawings in chalk, popular in the 18th century. The image reflects a fashionable interest in pastoral themes, showing women in a garden setting. But it’s more than just a pretty scene. The print is dedicated to a Monsieur De Beusy, a member of the nobility in Liège, now part of Belgium, suggesting this image was made for a patron with ties to the upper class, a common practice at the time. Such images offered an idealized vision of rural life, but they also subtly reinforced social hierarchies. Note the contrast between the woman carrying the heavy basket and the others relaxing. The print doesn’t critique these power dynamics, but it does offer us insight into the values and social structures of 18th-century Europe. To understand this artwork better, we might consult period publications, correspondence, and records of artistic patronage to get a more comprehensive view. The meaning of this print is contingent on the social and institutional context in which it was made and consumed.