Man melkt een geit terwijl een vrouw de geit voert 1762 - 1829

Jean Louis Demarne captured this pastoral scene of rural life with etching, an intaglio printmaking technique. Born in France during a time of social and political upheaval, Demarne's work presents an idealized view of the countryside. Here, a man milks a goat as a woman gently feeds it, set against the backdrop of grazing cattle and a sheltering tree. The image speaks to the gendered division of labor, where women are often depicted in nurturing roles, while men engage in productive labor. The idyllic setting softens the realities of rural poverty and the backbreaking work that sustained it. Demarne’s work creates a space where the viewer could perhaps momentarily escape the political and social tensions of the time. Demarne's pastoral scene invites us to reflect on the romanticized depictions of rural life and question whose realities are represented and whose are omitted. The image creates a sense of calm and plenty, a potent visual narrative far removed from the hardships faced by many during that time.