Vier meisjes in verering voor een Mariabeeld 1830 - 1880

Adolphe Mouilleron made this print of four girls in worship of a statue of the Virgin Mary sometime in the mid-19th century. In 19th century Europe, the institutions of family and the church still held considerable sway in the lives of women. Prints like this one gave visual form to the ideal of pious womanhood: modest, obedient, and devoted to religious observance. Consider the gendered norms of the time; for women, the domestic sphere was still considered their primary domain. This print can be seen as an attempt to reinforce this social order by depicting women engaged in religious devotion. To fully understand the role of images like these, we need to delve into the social and cultural history of 19th century Europe. Through research into religious literature, conduct books, and social commentary of the period, we can better understand the ways in which art both reflected and shaped the values of its time.