Verkoopster van room before 1895

This engraving by Maurice Bucquet, entitled Verkoopster van room, meaning 'Cream Seller', shows the public role of women in the late 19th or early 20th century. Drawn from life, Bucquet presents to us a slice of Dutch society, from the perspective of a country whose photographic institutions were rapidly expanding at the time. We can see the cream seller at work, along with her small child, who perhaps accompanies her for safety, or to learn the trade from a young age. The image creates meaning through its careful depiction of social class, cultural references, and historical associations. The engraving makes us reflect on how the institutions of art helped to shape social understanding and challenge existing social norms. A better understanding of the printmaker's institutional role requires us to do further research into the social and institutional context of the era.