Vrouw spint wol bij een wieg 1853 - 1900

Albrecht de Vriendt created this print titled 'Woman Spinning Wool by a Cradle' using etching. De Vriendt was part of a wave of 19th-century artists who turned to the past for subject matter. Here, we see a domestic scene where a woman spins wool near a sleeping infant. It seems timeless, yet it's also revealing of the artist’s time. The print romanticizes the role of women, depicting them in the domestic sphere, quietly tending to the home. We should also consider the artist's own context. As a white, male artist working in the 19th century, his perspective would have been shaped by the social norms and expectations of his time. Although seemingly a scene of peace and quiet, it prompts us to think about the labor, often unseen and unacknowledged, that goes into maintaining a home. It speaks to the complex relationship between visibility and invisibility, work and care, in the lives of women.