Boerenvrouw met bezem en gaffel 1763 - 1804

Curator: I see defiance etched into this woman’s face! There's something so…unruly about it. Editor: Yes! It's Johann Friedrich Gottlieb Unger's print, dating from somewhere between 1763 and 1804. Here we have a "Boerenvrouw met bezem en gaffel," which translates to "Farmer's wife with broom and pitchfork," residing at the Rijksmuseum. Curator: "Farmer's wife" seems almost satirical, doesn’t it? That tool, practically weaponized! This isn’t your docile milkmaid; there's a raw power here. It makes me think of a character ripped straight from a Grimm fairy tale. Editor: I can see that. Notice how Unger employs these harsh, almost jagged lines? There's no idealization here. Her stance, those oversized clogs – they’re a testament to her earthbound existence. And think about those tools – they are laden with symbolic weight! Curator: Absolutely. The broom— traditionally, a symbol of domesticity, of sweeping away negativity. But in her grip, it’s like she’s ready to sweep away… societal expectations! The pitchfork too—a farm tool turned signifier of revolution. She's almost challenging the viewer! Editor: Exactly. Unger’s decision to portray her so starkly, almost aggressively, pushes against those idealized Romantic depictions of rural life so common at the time. It's ink and paper transformed into a social commentary. I think there's more than just hard labor being represented; it is fortitude in the face of a societal dismissal. Curator: It speaks to this untold story— the sheer grit and resistance hidden in the everyday life of women. Makes me wonder what battles she's facing that aren’t depicted. Or perhaps what demons the artist was trying to unearth with it. Editor: I like that thought. Ultimately, the print encourages us to confront those stories, doesn't it? The narratives we often overlook in favor of more polished portrayals. It is Romanticism showing us life as it can truly be: difficult. Curator: A beautifully unsettling challenge, a whisper of rebellion caught in etching and ink. A perfect contradiction! Editor: Indeed! Let's move on, shall we?