Sewing girl 

Fritz Bamberger sketched this pencil drawing of a ‘Sewing Girl’ sometime in the mid-19th century. The image presents us with an anonymous woman, head bowed, utterly absorbed in her labour. Consider the social context in which Bamberger was working. Germany was undergoing rapid industrialization. While this created new wealth, it also led to the exploitation of many, particularly women and children, who toiled in factories or as domestic workers. Bamberger’s choice to depict this woman elevates a member of the working class, yet the bowed head and hidden face also deny her individuality. Is this a comment on the dehumanizing effects of labour? To truly understand this drawing, one must consider the era’s social and economic structures, researching how industrialization impacted the lives of ordinary people. Only then can we appreciate the image’s potential social commentary and its place within the complex visual culture of its time.