Vrouw met rugbepakking, mand en stok 1772

Johann Andreas Benjamin Nothnagel created this etching of a woman with a backpack, basket, and stick, in 1772. During this time, rural women often faced immense economic hardships, relying on manual labor and bartering for survival. Here, we see a woman burdened by a large pack and basket, likely filled with goods to trade or sell. The walking stick suggests a journey, perhaps to a market or another town, highlighting the constant movement and labor that defined her life. Her modest dress and head covering speak to the social norms and expectations placed on women of her class, whose identities were often shaped by their roles as laborers and caregivers. Nothnagel’s work invites us to reflect on the lives of these women, their resilience, and the ways in which their daily struggles shaped the economic and social landscapes of their time. It reminds us to consider the untold stories of those whose labor often goes unnoticed.