Scene at Jumièges 1820 - 1830

Samuel Prout created 'Scene at Jumièges' with pen and brown wash, capturing a moment in French village life, sometime in the early 19th century. The picturesque quality of this drawing invites us to consider the romanticization of rural life that was fashionable at the time. The Abbey of Jumièges, once a site of religious and political power, is here reduced to a quaint backdrop for the everyday activities of village women. Notice the figures Prout has included: one woman stands, waiting outside a doorway. Her posture, her clothing, suggest the working class. Another woman sits perched above, reading or perhaps gazing out at the landscape. What are their lives like? What stories do these buildings hold? Prout's work allows us to reflect on the intersection of gender, labor, and the allure of the 'pastoral' in a rapidly industrializing world. It’s a reminder of how idyllic scenes often obscure the complexities of lived experience, inviting us to look closer at the people within the landscape.