Women Carrying Jars to a Stream c. 18th century

Curator: This etching, "Women Carrying Jars to a Stream," was created by Salomon Gessner, who lived from 1730 to 1788. It's part of the collection at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has such a pastoral, almost dreamlike quality. The fine lines of the etching really lend themselves to that softness. Curator: Gessner's work often romanticized rural life, but seen through today's lens, it can provoke questions about gender roles and labor. Who are these women, and what is their relationship to the natural resources they are carrying? Editor: I agree. And consider the means of production. The etching process itself—the labor involved in creating the plate, the press... it all points to a specific kind of consumption and dissemination of imagery. Curator: Exactly. These images were circulated widely, shaping perceptions of idealized femininity and class structures. Editor: It reminds us that even seemingly idyllic scenes are embedded in a complex web of social and economic forces. Curator: I find myself thinking about how this image functioned then, and how we interpret it now, through our contemporary understanding of social justice and intersectionality. Editor: I'm struck by how a seemingly simple image can reveal so much about the labor, materials, and the broader social narratives surrounding it.