Het boerenleven 1865 - 1875

This print, "The Farmer's Life No. 1," was created by George Lodewijk Funke in the Netherlands. It shows us a romanticized vision of rural labor, likely intended for children. Looking at the organization of the print, we see a series of vignettes depicting various stages of agricultural production. These include milking cows, churning butter, preparing cheese, slaughtering animals, and trading at market. Each scene seems to promote the idea of self-sufficient labor. During this period, the Netherlands was undergoing significant social and economic changes. The rise of industrialization and urbanization led to a growing interest in the countryside and a nostalgia for rural life. Prints like these played a role in shaping perceptions of agricultural work. To better understand the cultural function of this work, we might look at educational materials or marketing initiatives from the same period to grasp its significance as part of a larger cultural narrative.