Boerenvrouw draagt een zak op haar schouders c. 1897

Willem Witsen made this etching titled 'Boerenvrouw draagt een zak op haar schouders' which translates to 'A female farmer carrying a bag on her shoulders'. During Witsen's time, rapid industrialization drew many from rural areas to cities, yet he focused on the lives of those left behind in the countryside. This work reflects broader societal concerns about the changing roles and representations of women in labor. The woman’s posture, bent under the weight of her load, speaks to the physical demands of agricultural work, challenging romanticized notions of rural life. Her clothing, rendered in simple lines, suggests a life of practicality over adornment. The image invites us to consider the intersection of gender and class in shaping experiences of labor and identity. It presents an alternative narrative, one that confronts the viewer with the often-unseen realities of women's work in rural settings.