Woman and Child by a Duck Pond 1835 - 1903

Lorenz Frølich created this print titled 'Woman and Child by a Duck Pond' at an unknown date. Frølich, who lived from 1820 to 1908, situated his artistic practice in a period of significant social change, when the roles of women and children were being renegotiated in public and private life. The print depicts a domestic scene, perhaps a mother and child at leisure. The figures' modest clothing suggests a middle-class background, yet the scene is not one of luxury or excess. There's a sense of everyday life. What I find interesting is how Frølich captures the different emotional states. The woman's gaze is directed downwards with a look that might suggest melancholy or deep thought. The child appears curious, drawn to the ducks. This juxtaposition highlights the generational differences and emotional complexities within familial roles. Does the work reinforce traditional notions of women as caretakers or does it hint at the internal lives and emotional depths of its subjects?