Hut in the Marsh (Cabane dans les marais) 

Alphonse Legros created this etching, Hut in the Marsh, using needle and acid on a metal plate, probably sometime in the late 19th century. Legros came from a poor family in France and he often depicted the lives of ordinary people. In this image, Legros shows us the simple dwellings of rural folk in the French countryside. But there's a stark contrast between the humble hut and the imposing structure on the hill above. Perhaps Legros is subtly commenting on the rigid social hierarchies of his time. The etching technique, with its stark lines and contrasts, emphasizes this divide. Historians of art and culture can use census records, old maps, and other archival sources to learn more about the people who lived in these kinds of dwellings and how they related to those in positions of power. Only then can we truly appreciate the social commentary embedded in Legros's work.