Figuren op straat bij hoefsmid 1838 - 1863

Frederik Hendrik Weissenbruch created this print, Figuren op straat bij hoefsmid, using etching. Weissenbruch lived during a time of immense social change, marked by the Industrial Revolution and shifting class structures. Here, the artist presents us with a scene of everyday life, centered around a farrier, a figure who held an important role in both the economy and community life before mechanization fully took hold. Observe the figures gathered, each seemingly defined by their relationship to labor, class and gender. What stories do you think they hold? Weissenbruch’s choice of the farrier as a subject might reflect a nostalgic look back at traditional ways of life in a rapidly modernizing world. In this work, the artist seems to be making a social commentary by capturing a moment of transition. Consider how the rise of industrialization gradually altered the roles and status of such trades, impacting individual and collective identities.