Buste van een lachende boerin 1778 - 1838

Anthonie van den Bos made this tiny woodcut of a laughing peasant woman sometime before his death in 1838. The image is printed in black ink on a small square of paper. Woodcut is an old printing technique, where the artist carves an image into a block of wood. The raised areas take ink, while the carved-away areas remain blank. This method leaves a distinctive, textural impression; you can see the marks of the cutting tool in the final print. Given its modest size and subject matter, this print was likely intended for a broad audience. It reflects a growing interest in the lives of ordinary people during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The labor of the field is not directly represented, but the artist is careful to observe the woman’s clothing and expression, making her a symbol of rural life and the dignity of work. By appreciating the materials and making of this artwork, we recognize how prints like this contributed to a wider visual culture, blurring the boundaries between art and everyday life.