Grazing cows with farmer's wife Possibly 1867

Otto Scholderer made this pencil drawing called "Grazing Cows with Farmer's Wife," sometime in the mid-19th century. It's part of a broader artistic interest in rural life, but one must remember the social and economic context in which it was made. Think of the rapid industrialization happening in Europe at the time. Scenes like this became popular as a way to romanticize a disappearing way of life, but also to address anxieties about urban growth and the changing roles of women in society. The woman in the drawing, presumably the farmer's wife, seems passive, almost part of the landscape. Was Scholderer critiquing the limited opportunities available to women in rural communities, or was he reinforcing traditional gender roles? Art historians might consult census data, agricultural records, and even fashion plates from the period to understand more about the social conditions that influenced Scholderer’s work and its reception.