Vrouw met twee kinderen 19th century

This is a print by A. Simon, titled 'Vrouw met twee kinderen', or 'Woman with Two Children'. In the print, a woman sits in a simple domestic interior, seemingly trying to read while two small children clamor for her attention. Images of domesticity like this one gain traction during the late 19th century, particularly within the rising middle class in countries like Germany. The emphasis on the interior, on the maternal role, and on childhood innocence, served to reinforce certain values, particularly those of the nuclear family as a safe haven, separate from the increasingly industrialized world. These images often glossed over the labor involved in maintaining such a space and raising children, and the sentimental depictions are often at odds with the lived experiences of many women and children at the time. To understand this print more fully, one would need to investigate the popular visual culture of late 19th-century Germany, studying domestic manuals, fashion plates, and other printed materials to understand the broader social context.