Moeder heeft een vrijer van haar dochter de deur gewezen 1832

Frédéric Bouchot created this print, "Mother Shows Her Daughter's Suitor the Door," sometime in the first half of the 19th century. Its division into two scenes and its placement in the series "Le Voisinage" or "The Neighborhood" suggests it's a commentary on social mores and class distinctions of the time. We see the interior of a bourgeois home, signified by the framed artworks on the walls and well-dressed occupants. An older woman, presumably the mother, sits at her desk, while her daughter stands nearby. Through an open doorway, we see a group of drummers; the mother appears to be rejecting one as a suitor. What can be seen in this artwork is a satire of social climbing and the perceived threat to established social orders. Examining sources, such as periodicals from the period, would shed further light on the social tensions at play here. By studying the artistic conventions and social commentary of the era, we can gain insight into the artist's intent and the print's original audience. The meaning of art, as this print suggests, is always rooted in its historical and institutional context.