Landscape with Washerwoman 1758

Editor: Here we have Denis-Pierre-Jean Papillon de la Ferté's "Landscape with Washerwoman." The etching's delicate lines create a peaceful scene, but there is also a striking social contrast between the washerwomen and the onlookers. What can you tell me about how this image might have been received in its time? Curator: These kinds of images, circulated as prints, helped shape ideas about class and labor. Who got to look, and who was being looked *at*? Consider how the artist positions the "washerwoman" – a figure of labor – within a picturesque landscape, almost as part of the scenery. It suggests a certain way of seeing the working class, doesn't it? Editor: That’s fascinating. It makes me rethink the initial sense of serenity. Curator: Precisely! The power dynamics embedded within seemingly idyllic scenes often go unnoticed, and prints like these were central to reinforcing social hierarchies.