Huisselijke bedrijven / Occupations du ménage 1800 - 1833

Philippus Jacobus Brepols created this unnamed print, known as "Household Activities," in the Netherlands, sometime in the early 19th century. It depicts a range of activities, all undertaken by women, that would have been commonplace in a Dutch household. The image creates meaning by idealizing women's labor. It suggests a clear division of labor, organized by gender. These visual codes would have resonated with the values of the Dutch middle class, which increasingly emphasized the importance of domesticity. This was a period in which the Netherlands was transitioning from a republic to a monarchy, and these images promoted a conservative vision of social order. To understand this artwork better, we might look at household manuals, conduct books, and other visual materials. We can interpret this print as a cultural artifact that tells us about the social conditions that shaped artistic production and reception in the Netherlands.