Jongeman en oude vrouw in een herberg 1816 - 1846

Johannes de Mare made this print, "Young Man and Old Woman in a Tavern," in 1846 using etching and engraving. Prints like this one were part of a booming art market in the Netherlands, fueled by the rise of a wealthy merchant class. These prints, often depicting scenes of everyday life, offered a way for people to engage with art in their homes. The tavern setting speaks to the social life of the time, a place where people from different walks of life could gather. The relationship between the young man and the old woman hints at the changing social norms around age and gender. Is it an image that critiques the unequal distribution of power and social interactions? To understand this print fully, we can delve into the archives of Dutch art institutions and study the economic history of the print market. Only by exploring the social and institutional context can we truly understand the meaning of this image.