Peasant Family Going to Market 1470 - 1491

Martin Schongauer created this engraving, “Peasant Family Going to Market,” sometime in the late fifteenth century. Schongauer lived in Colmar, a wealthy town in the Alsace region and, though little is known about him, he likely came from a family of goldsmiths. The print depicts a family on their way to the market. The mother and child ride the horse, while the father walks, weighed down by burdens, including what looks like a sword. The family appears to be making their way from a rural area to what looks like a busy town. Consider what it might have been like to live in this agrarian society, where roles were rigidly defined by gender and class. What did it mean for the man to carry the sword? Was this for his protection, or did it signal something about his status? Schongauer’s delicate lines are a testament to his mastery, capturing a moment in time that reflects both the hardships and the simple rhythms of life for peasant families.