Les Pêcheurs florentins 1766

Anne Philiberte Coulet created "Les Pêcheurs florentins" as an engraving. Coulet, working in the 18th century, a time when women artists navigated a male-dominated art world, offers us a glimpse into the lives of Florentine fishermen. The print captures a scene of labor and leisure, set against the backdrop of a rugged coastline, with a natural arch framing the distant city. While seemingly a straightforward depiction of working-class life, it also invites us to consider the romanticized view of the working class that was fashionable at the time. There's a certain theatricality to the scene, a constructed image of ‘natural’ life. Coulet highlights the humanity of labor but also perhaps its idealization through the lens of an engraver catering to the tastes of the time. It serves as both a document and an interpretation of the social fabric.