Spinster met kind en vogel zit tussen de koeien en geiten 1762 - 1829

Jean Louis Demarne made this etching of a spinster, child, and bird amidst cows and goats sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. Demarne’s print utilizes a subtle interplay of light and shadow, achieved through fine, delicate lines. The composition, while seemingly pastoral, reveals a careful arrangement of figures, each contributing to the overall balance. The spinster and child form a counterpoint to the grazing animals, creating a dynamic tension within the frame. Demarne masterfully employs line and texture to differentiate the soft, organic forms of the animals from the more angular shapes of the human figures. Notice how the cloudscape is rendered with looser, more gestural strokes, contrasting with the meticulous detailing of the foreground elements. The work may challenge established meanings relating to nature and labor. What fixed categories are destabilized through its use of a rural scene? The lack of firm, decisive lines and the softness of the work’s textures engage with new ways of thinking about space and perception.