Milkmaid of Boulogne, 1st plate (Laitiere a Boulogne) 

Alphonse Legros etched ‘Milkmaid of Boulogne’ to illustrate rural life in 19th-century France. The milkmaid, shrouded in modest attire, guides a donkey laden with milk containers. The loaded donkey, or pack animal, carries with it echoes of ancient iconography: consider Christ's entry into Jerusalem, or images of laborers throughout the Middle Ages. The milkmaid’s firm guiding hand, holding a stick, becomes a symbolic gesture of control and necessity, reminiscent of depictions of allegorical figures like “Fortitude,” who assert control over their circumstances. Yet, there is a tenderness here, too; her draped head suggests humility, her downward gaze, a silent understanding of the rhythms of her daily labor. This image isn’t just a snapshot of a milkmaid; it’s a cultural palimpsest where the mundane overlays echoes of biblical and classical antiquity. The symbols in this etching are not static; they reappear, evolve, and transform.