Keuken 1871

Jules Ferdinand Jacquemart created this 160 by 183 mm print titled "Keuken" using an etching technique. The image depicts a kitchen interior, a space often associated with domesticity, labor, and the preparation of food. These spaces have been sites of great cultural transformation, representing economic shifts as well as changing gender roles. Looking closely, we can see how the artist uses light and shadow to create depth and texture, drawing attention to the arrangement of objects within the kitchen. Without a precise date, we can still imagine this image being produced in 19th-century Europe, when rapid industrialization began to transform domestic labor. Was Jacquemart consciously commenting on the social and economic changes reshaping the lives of working-class people? To fully understand the meaning and impact of "Keuken," we might turn to cookbooks, household inventories, and other period documents. We can consider the conditions under which it was made and circulated, and reflect on how its meaning has changed over time.