Vrouw en een kind met balen stro op een landweg before 1898

This photogravure by L. Dubreuil shows a woman and child with bales of straw on a rural road. The photogravure process itself is key to understanding the work. It starts with a photograph, but then this image is transferred onto a copper plate, which is etched. Ink is then applied and the plate is used to create the final print. This technique allows for a richness of tone and detail. Here, it captures the textures of the straw, the rough road, and the foliage. Consider how this labor-intensive printmaking process echoes the labor involved in the scene itself. Hauling straw bales was hard work, part of the agricultural cycle that sustained rural communities. By using photogravure, Dubreuil elevates this everyday scene, prompting us to reflect on the value and dignity of such labor. It challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and the crafts or trades, inviting us to see beauty and significance in the ordinary.