Vrouw met een kind op schoot 1758 - 1808

This is Johann Georg Wille’s engraving of a woman with a child on her lap, made in the 18th century. The image participates in a wider cultural narrative around motherhood, which was gaining prominence at this time. As the print's inscription tells us, this image is dedicated to a noble woman, the Duchesse de Brunswick, and shows the sitter in the private setting of her chambers. The choice to depict her as a mother highlights the importance of female aristocratic figures for the continuity of lineage, class and dynastic power. The sentimental image of the mother and child here naturalizes aristocratic privilege, portraying it in the guise of gentle maternal affection. The meaning of this print is therefore contingent on its social context, and understanding it better requires historical research into the role of the aristocracy, the cultural values surrounding motherhood, and the institutions of art which governed the making of prints like this.