The Butcher 

Victor Gabriel Gilbert created "The Butcher," capturing a visceral scene of labor, and life, within the Parisian economy. Gilbert, known for depicting the working class and street scenes, invites us to consider the often-unseen labor that sustains society. The butcher, a central figure, stands powerfully amidst hanging carcasses, embodying both strength and an intimate connection to the cycle of life and death. This work exists within a lineage of paintings of the working class, and it is, of course, implicitly gendered. The butchering trade has historically been dominated by men, reflecting broader gendered divisions of labor and expectations about masculinity. Gilbert’s sympathetic portrayal of the butcher acknowledges the vital role of his labor, while confronting us with the realities of where our food comes from, so that we might consider the ethics of consumption, and the workers’ lived experience.