Frau mit Ziegen bei einem Gehöft 

Philipp Röth made this watercolor painting, ‘Woman with Goats near a Farmstead’, in Germany, sometime in the late 19th century. It depicts a rural scene, capturing a woman tending to her goats near a traditional farmhouse. This image embodies the period's fascination with the simplicity of country life, yet such scenes were carefully constructed, reflecting the economic and social realities of the time. The painting evokes a sense of nostalgia for an agrarian past, even as Germany was undergoing rapid industrialization. The woman, seemingly alone, suggests the labor-intensive nature of rural life. The farmhouse itself is a symbol of stability, and the presence of the goats highlights the importance of livestock to the family's livelihood. To fully understand this artwork, we might look at the economic conditions and the role of women in 19th-century German agriculture through census data, newspapers, and other resources to place the image in its proper social and institutional context.