A Normandy milk-girl 1898

This photogravure, entitled ‘A Normandy Milk-Girl’, presents an idyllic image of rural France. The picture was made using a process of printing from blocks for the colours, a technology that helped photography to become a medium for mass communication. The scene evokes a romantic vision of peasant life, common in the 19th century, yet it raises questions about the public role of art and the politics of imagery. The image presents a young woman, likely a farm worker, riding a donkey, perhaps on her way to market. A windmill stands picturesquely in the background. The image does not reflect the actual conditions of rural labour, which were often very difficult. It creates meaning through visual codes and cultural references that construct a carefully staged version of reality. By consulting archives and studies of 19th-century French social history, we can learn more about the economic and social realities behind this charming, but ultimately idealised, image.