Marguerite at the Spinning Wheel 1828

Eugène Delacroix created this lithograph of Marguerite at the Spinning Wheel in the 19th century. Delacroix, working during a time of significant social change, engaged with themes of romanticism and individualism that reflected the era’s emphasis on personal expression and emotion. Here, we encounter Marguerite, alone and contemplative. Consider the social expectations placed on women during the 1800's, where their roles were often confined to domestic duties. Marguerite embodies the constraints and limited opportunities available to women, her pensive gaze suggesting a longing for something beyond her immediate surroundings. Her stillness evokes a sense of melancholy. The spinning wheel, a symbol of domesticity, becomes a marker of her confinement rather than a source of fulfillment. Delacroix’s delicate rendering invites us to reflect on the complexities of identity and the search for personal agency within the structures of society.