Portret van vrouwelijke garnalenvisser uit de omgeving van Duinkerke 1818 - 1842

Jean Jacques François Monanteuil created this print of a shrimp fisher from Dunkirk, likely in the first half of the 19th century. The image presents a woman, probably from the working classes, in a manner that is both realistic and idealized. This contrast reveals much about the social and cultural context of its time. France in the 1800s was undergoing significant social and economic changes. The rise of industrialization and urbanization led to new ways of living and working, but also new forms of inequality. Images such as this, circulated via print media, helped construct and negotiate ideas about class, gender, and regional identity. The picturesque representation of the fisher suggests a romanticized view of rural labor, and the image participates in a broader cultural trend of representing the working classes in ways that both acknowledge their existence and render them non-threatening. Understanding this print requires us to consider its circulation and reception. Art historians use a range of resources, including period newspapers, exhibition catalogs, and other visual sources to situate artworks within their original social and institutional contexts.