Oude vrouw aan tafel met een weegschaal 1746 - 1816

Johann Anton Riedel made this etching of an old woman at a table with scales sometime around the late 18th century in Germany. The image encapsulates a complex interplay of social, economic, and moral concerns prevalent during that time. Here, the woman's engagement with the scales becomes a symbolic act. It brings to mind the visual language of religious painting. But instead of justice, the old woman is concerned with material wealth. The setting is domestic. The woman is in the act of weighing coins or jewels, perhaps suggesting the growing importance of mercantile activity. The image may have been a commentary on the perceived shift in societal values. Was it a move away from traditional virtues towards a preoccupation with wealth? Riedel's etching is a lens through which we can examine the changing cultural landscape of 18th-century Germany. By consulting historical sources, we can better understand the complex value systems reflected in the art of the era.