Boerin in een schuur loopt een trap op 1852 - 1889

This print by Willem Linnig the Younger captures a scene of rural life, etched with lines that convey both light and shadow. Linnig used etching, a printmaking technique involving biting lines into a metal plate with acid, to create this image. The fine lines and intricate details show the labor involved in the printmaking process, as well as the labor of the woman depicted. The subject of the artwork, a farmer walking up the stairs of a barn, is shown in her working environment. The texture of the rough-hewn wood and piled hay are emphasized through the density and direction of the etched lines. Light pours in from an unseen opening, highlighting the scene and creating a sense of depth. The woman, the humble setting, and the way the image is created all speak to the everyday, to the value of depicting the lives of working people through craft.