Sappeur bij een zoetelaarster 1800 - 1841

This print, titled 'Sappeur bij een zoetelaarster' and made by Joannes Bemme, presents a moment of encounter between a soldier and a tradeswoman. In the historical context of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the roles of men and women were sharply defined. The soldier, a 'sappeur', was a combat engineer. The 'zoetelaarster' or market woman, would have followed military campaigns to sell goods and provisions to soldiers. These women often occupied a liminal space, neither fully part of military structure, nor entirely separate from it. Through this image, Bemme touches on the complex dynamics of gender and class, and the blurred lines between the military and civilian life. This encounter invites us to consider the interdependence between the soldiers and the women who sustained them. While seemingly depicting a simple transaction, this image hints at the complex relationships that develop in times of conflict and the vital role women played in supporting military campaigns.