Zie hier het leven en bedrijf / Van Jan de Wasser en zijn wijf. / Die leere u, dat ras getrouwd / Iets is, dat lang daarna nog rouwt c. 1822 - 1849

This hand-colored etching was made by Jan de Lange the Younger, in the Netherlands, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The title translates as: "Here is the life and business of Jan de Wasser and his wife. Who teach you that marrying quickly is something that you will regret for a long time." Arranged in a grid of little scenes, this print presents a cautionary tale of the trials of married life. Through these two characters, the artist comments on the social structures of his time. In this era, marriage was often presented as a financial arrangement rather than a romantic union, and it’s clear that the artist critiques the institution of marriage itself. It would be interesting to research how these types of images circulated at the time – were they sold as individual prints, or included in books? Who was the target audience? What kind of social conditions gave rise to such a cynical view of marriage? Unlocking the full meaning of this artwork requires an understanding of the cultural norms and social dynamics of 19th-century Netherlands.