Hollandse boerin en Friese boerin met haar dochter 1728

Bernard Picart created this print, "Hollandse boerin en Friese boerin met haar dochter", sometime between 1673 and 1733. Here, we see archetypes of Dutch womanhood, each carefully delineated by regional dress and posture. Note the basket held by the Hollandse boerin. This motif, seemingly simple, echoes through art history—from depictions of Ceres, goddess of agriculture, to humble offerings in still life paintings. The basket, a vessel of sustenance, becomes a potent symbol of fertility, labor, and the cyclical nature of life itself. On the right, we observe a mother and child embracing, this primal scene echoes countless Madonna and Child images. The embrace, a universal gesture, transcends time, yet here, it is grounded in the specificities of Frisian identity. Such images, though seemingly simple, are charged with emotional weight, tapping into our collective memory of maternal love and protection. We feel it, subconsciously, in our bones.