Rokende boerin 1696 - 1727

"Rokende boerin" (Smoking Peasant Woman), an etching by Dutch artist Matthijs Pool, depicts a woman smoking a pipe. The image is framed within a circular frame with the inscription "Ad meliora alimenta vocata," which translates to "Called to better nourishment." The woman's relaxed posture and the inscription, which suggests a call to better living, are both characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of cultural and economic flourishing. The etching, created between 1696 and 1727, is a fine example of the artist's work and is currently housed in the Rijksmuseum.