Vrouw met brandende lamp 1749 - 1809

Joannis Jacobus Bijlaert created this print, "Woman with a Burning Lamp," during a period of significant societal change, sometime before 1809. Bijlaert, who straddled the line between the late Baroque and early Neoclassical periods, produced this piece at a time when traditional social structures and emerging Enlightenment ideals were in tension. The print depicts a woman holding a lamp, seated amidst symbols of domesticity and labor. The lamp, a classical symbol of enlightenment and knowledge, is held by a woman. This positioning suggests a re-evaluation of women's roles and their access to knowledge, which was a growing concern during the Enlightenment. The beehive symbolizes industry and community, and the tools indicate labor, reflecting the era's emphasis on productivity and the moral value of work. Through this Bijlaert encourages viewers to consider the evolving roles of women and their relationship to knowledge and labor, within the shifting landscape of 18th-century society.