Standing Woman with Laundry Basket c. 19th century

Editor: So this is William Morris's "Standing Woman with Laundry Basket". It's a small sketch. What strikes me is the starkness, the sketchiness, a sense of everyday labor. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This drawing makes me think of labor and class structure. Morris, for all his focus on beauty, came from privilege. How does his position affect his view, and ours, of this woman's labor? What is lost, or perhaps romanticized, in the translation of her task into art? Editor: That's a great point; his perspective definitely shapes how we see the image. Curator: Exactly! The material reality of laundry, its social implications, must be considered when viewing this work. It reframes the piece, doesn't it? Editor: It certainly does. It gives a whole new perspective to the artwork.