Young woman spinning thread for an arrow 1686 - 1741

This print by François de Poilly, made in France sometime between the late 17th and early 18th century, depicts a young woman spinning thread for an arrow. The image connects to a wider cultural interest in love and romance, typical of the era. Prints like this, circulated among a wide audience, helped shape cultural values and ideas. The woman is idealized, fashionable and occupies the foreground. Behind her lurks a black servant. The text translates to: "This amiable spinner, in this gallant attire, is more brilliant than the dawn…She would have even more grace to spin perfect love." The combination of spinning and arrow-making suggests a complex idea. Spinning, a traditional domestic task, here produces an instrument of love. The racialized servant acts as a visual signifier of the young woman’s social class, and the wider social structures in place at the time. To understand this print better, we can look at the era's social and cultural context, using resources such as historical texts and fashion studies. Art is not made in a vacuum, but within specific social and institutional conditions.