Sober interieur met mannen die beslag leggen op het bezit van een familie 1828

"Distraining for Rent" is a black and white engraving by Abraham Raimbach, an English artist, dated 1828. The scene depicts a poignant moment of hardship as bailiffs, or rent collectors, take possession of a family's belongings in a chaotic and cluttered home. The engraving, now in the Rijksmuseum, likely captures the anxieties of those struggling to make ends meet in 19th-century England. The detailed depiction of the family's despair contrasts with the official authority of the bailiffs, highlighting the social inequalities of the era. The composition is reminiscent of social realism, a genre that emerged in the 19th century and focused on depicting the lives of ordinary people.