Twee kinderen zitten op een hek met daarachter een ezel before 1892

This is an illustration by C.S. Dodge titled 'Twee kinderen zitten op een hek met daarachter een ezel', which translates to 'Two children sit on a fence with a donkey behind it'. The original source of this image is Wilson's Photographic Magazine, from October 12, 1881. Wilson's was a journal that influenced the development of photography as both an artistic and commercial practice. The choice of this image for reproduction in the magazine suggests a democratization of art. We see a scene of everyday rural life. Rather than high society, Dodge captures the life of common folk in a way that emphasizes their dignity. The inclusion of Dodge's work in Wilson's reflects photography's growing acceptance by the art world. By studying the magazine and the institutions that promoted it, we can better understand the social forces that shaped our understanding of art in the late 19th century.