Meisje dat kippen voert in een tuin c. 1900 - 1930

G.V. Scagen created this photograph of a young girl feeding chickens in a garden, using an early photographic process. The innocence of childhood is interlaced with the more formal social expectations of its time. There's an element of class here: the girl’s clothing is simple, yet neat, suggesting a family of modest means. The act of feeding chickens is also an assertion of female domesticity. Historically, tending to animals and gardens often fell within the realm of women's labor. We see it reflected in the artist's quiet observation; a girl engaged in a simple, domestic task. This artwork opens up a conversation about the roles assigned to women and girls, not just in the past, but how those representations continue to shape our present. It is in this space of everyday life that we begin to see the weaving of culture, gender, and identity.