Nourice ordinaire de France 1662

This undated etching entitled "Nourice Ordinaire de France" was created by an anonymous artist. In it we see a wet nurse holding an infant, with a landscape featuring other figures and buildings in the background. The image gives us a glimpse into the social practice of wet nursing in France. The French title translates to ‘Ordinary Nurse of France’, suggesting a common scene rather than an extraordinary one. The wet nurse was a figure of social and economic importance at a time when not all mothers could, or would, nurse their own children. This image invites consideration of class, gender, and labor in early modern France. For historians, prints like this offer valuable insights into the everyday lives and social customs of past societies. By researching period documents, such as contracts for wet nursing services, we can better understand the complex relationships between the nurse, the child, and the child's family.