Landschap met bomen en vrouw met takkenbos 1875 - 1887

Johanna Henriëtte Besier made this etching, "Landscape with trees and woman with bundle of branches," in the Netherlands at the turn of the 20th century. The rural subject evokes the Hague School, but it also addresses a theme familiar to those interested in social realism. Consider how the woman carrying a load of sticks on her back engages with existing artistic traditions. The image evokes Jean-François Millet’s paintings of French peasant life but here we can think about the role of gender and labor. Is Besier celebrating the dignity of labor, or is she making a statement about the economic hardships faced by rural women in the Netherlands? To understand the image better, we might research the history of Dutch agriculture, the role of women in rural communities, and the representation of labor in art. Through these research avenues, we can gain insight into the complex social and economic forces that shaped the production and reception of this image.