Gammel Italienerinde 1733 - 1816

W.A. Müller created this etching, "Old Italian Woman," sometime between 1733 and 1816. It captures the sitter in quiet contemplation, her head bowed and wrapped in a simple cloth. Made during the Enlightenment, it reflects the growing interest in observing and documenting different cultures and social types. The image invites us to consider the lives of ordinary people, especially those on the margins of society. Müller's choice to depict an elderly woman, likely from the Italian countryside, speaks to a broader European fascination with Italy as a land of both classical heritage and rustic simplicity. Artists often traveled to Italy to study the masterpieces of the past and to find inspiration in the everyday lives of its inhabitants. By studying travel accounts, prints, and other visual materials from this period, we can begin to understand the complex ways in which Italy was imagined and represented in the eighteenth century.