Zwei Wäscherinnen und ein vom Rücken gesehener sitzender Mann c. 1771 - 1772

Georg Melchior Kraus made this drawing, *Zwei Wäscherinnen und ein vom Rücken gesehener sitzender Mann*, using pen and brown ink, with gray wash on paper. The image is quickly rendered, with a light touch. But despite the economy of means, it speaks volumes about the figures depicted: working-class women, perhaps resting from their labors. We get a strong sense of the weight of the wet laundry and the rough texture of their clothes. The use of brown ink and gray wash gives the drawing a muted, almost melancholic tone. It also suggests the dirty conditions in which these women worked. Kraus’s choice of medium emphasizes the physical realities of labor, capturing a fleeting moment in the lives of ordinary people. Importantly, this artwork reminds us of the value we should place on labor.