Dienstmeisje met zingende dame achter de piano 1853

This lithograph, "Dienstmeisje met zingende dame achter de piano", depicts a maid in a room with a woman singing at a piano. The maid is in the foreground, looking directly at the viewer while holding a tray of food, and the singer is seen in a blurred, almost ghostly form in the background. Created in 1853 by renowned French artist Paul Gavarni, the work reflects his signature style of social commentary through caricature. The piece highlights the social hierarchy of 19th-century Europe through the contrast between the maid's humble presence and the singer's more elevated position. The use of lithography as a medium was popular at the time, allowing for mass production of the image and its distribution to a wider audience.