Landschap met twee mannen die kiezels scheppen before 1902

Edouard Potterat made this landscape featuring two men gathering pebbles, sometime before 1904. It's interesting to see such ordinary labor represented in what we might think of as a fine art context, in this case, a book. Looking at the image, we see two men engaged in the repetitive task of collecting pebbles in a somewhat industrialised setting. Made in a time of rapid industrial expansion in Europe, the image could be a commentary on the changing social landscape. The work highlights laborers, perhaps those involved in the building or maintenance of infrastructure. Is Potterat drawing attention to a class of workers that were becoming ever more visible in the social landscape? Understanding this image requires us to consider the role of the artist in society, and the way art may be used to either celebrate or critique the social order. Historical sources, like census data or municipal records, could help us to understand the changing demographics and labor practices of the time, shedding more light on the social context of this artwork.