Vrouw met ton in een stal met twee koeien 1848 - 1879

Jan Stobbaerts created this etching titled "Vrouw met ton in een stal met twee koeien," or "Woman with barrel in a stable with two cows" some time in the late 19th century. Stobbaerts came from a modest background, and his work often depicted rural life and peasant figures with a deep sense of realism and empathy. The image shows a woman next to a large barrel, seemingly caught in the middle of her work. The scene brings to mind questions of labor, gender, and class. Who is this woman? What is her daily life like? The answers are suggested by the setting: a rustic stable with cows, implying a life of hard, physical work. The woman's positioning next to the heavy barrel evokes the physical demands placed on women in rural economies. The lack of idealization is striking; the image feels authentic. Stobbaerts doesn’t shy away from showing the realities of rural existence. This piece asks us to consider the stories and experiences of those who often go unseen in grand historical narratives.