Crossing near the Watermill 1807

Jean Jacques de Boissieu created this print, Crossing near the Watermill, in France sometime around 1777. It's an etching, a printmaking technique that allows for fine lines and detailed textures. Here, we see a scene that romanticizes rural life. The image depicts a small ferry transporting people and livestock across a river, with a picturesque watermill in the background. It's not just a pretty picture; it also speaks to the social and economic structures of 18th-century France, where the countryside was still the heartland, even as cities grew. De Boissieu, living in a pre-revolutionary France, offers a view that may gloss over the hardships of rural life, presenting instead an image of harmony. Art historians look to sources from the period to balance the historical record. What do journals and government records tell us about this period? By comparing such resources we can achieve a clearer picture of the past.