Vrouw met zak over haar schouder 1875 - 1889

Jozef Israëls made this artwork, Vrouw met zak over haar schouder, using etching techniques. Look at the image, and you immediately understand that this is a work about labor. The starkness of the etching—the thin, wiry lines—emphasizes the woman’s burden. The bag slung over her shoulder isn't just a compositional element, it's the focal point of the piece, a testament to her work. Consider the process of etching itself. It is an indirect medium, one requiring the artist to carefully transfer an image onto a metal plate using acid to eat into the surface, and finally, ink to be pressed onto the paper. The final result, then, is a representation of labor both by its subject and in its making. Israëls' choice of this technique is significant, it speaks to a wider social context of the 19th century, one marked by industrialization, class division, and intense manual labor. The print is a powerful statement, its value lies not just in its aesthetic, but in the labor, material, and social issues it represents.