Laundresses on the Banks of the Touques 

Eugène Boudin painted ‘Laundresses on the Banks of the Touques’ using oil on wood, capturing a slice of 19th-century French life. Boudin's choice of subject matter elevates the everyday toil of working-class women. These laundresses, gathered by the river, were a common sight in the French countryside, performing the laborious task of cleaning clothes in the absence of modern plumbing. The muted tones and rough brushstrokes reflect the harsh realities of their existence. The industrial revolution may have transformed urban life, but it was yet to ease the burden of rural working women. To truly understand this image, consider France’s social fabric at the time. The stark contrast between the burgeoning wealth of the cities and the hardscrabble life of the rural working class. Art history provides a powerful lens through which to examine social realities. By exploring sources from the era, such as census records and social commentary, we can gain a deeper understanding of the lives and labor depicted in this painting.