Drie vrouwen en kind op stoep 1808 - 1848

Pieter Barbiers IV made this etching called 'Three Women and Child on a Sidewalk' in the Netherlands sometime in the first half of the 19th century. It shows three women and a child, likely a family, in what looks to be a candid street scene. Barbiers was part of a family of artists and worked in the tradition of Dutch Golden Age painting. But by the 19th century, artists were less dependent on the patronage of the church or aristocracy. They created images for a wider public that could be displayed in galleries and museums. This etching, with its intimate portrayal of ordinary people, is characteristic of the period. The work presents us with questions about Dutch society at the time. For example, what does it tell us about the role of women? What does it suggest about the relationship between the generations? To get closer to answering these questions, we might study family life in the Netherlands during this period, looking at the kinds of buildings people lived in, the clothes they wore, and the work that they did. Only then can we begin to appreciate the social life of this etching.