Blinde vrouw met kind 1875

Edmond Lambrichs made this etching, ‘Blind Woman with Child,’ in the late 19th century. It depicts a woman, presumably blind, seated with a child on her lap. The image speaks to broader social and cultural anxieties of the time around disability, poverty, and motherhood. The visual codes in the print, such as the woman’s simple clothing and the child’s somewhat forlorn expression, suggest the socio-economic vulnerability of the figures. This work comes out of a European tradition of social realism, where artists sought to depict the lives of ordinary, often marginalized, people, holding a mirror up to the inequalities of industrializing societies. Public institutions for the blind were expanding at this time, with debates raging about how best to integrate blind people into society. Art historical research into the period, including census data, medical records and philanthropic archives, helps us to understand the social position of the figures in the image, and the role of art in shaping public perceptions of blindness and poverty.