Twee vrouwen houden de hand van een slapende man in het water 1768

John Greenwood created this mezzotint, "Two Women Holding the Hand of a Sleeping Man in the Water," likely in the mid-18th century. It captures a scene rife with social commentary on gender and class. The image presents a man, presumably wealthy given his attire and the interior setting, asleep and vulnerable. Two women attend to him, one holding a candle, the other his hand in a bowl of water. This could suggest an attempt to revive him, perhaps from overindulgence. During this period, such scenes often served as moral lessons, critiquing the excesses of the upper class and the perceived cunning of women. Greenwood, working in a time when printmaking was a powerful tool for disseminating ideas, likely aimed to engage a broad audience. We can research the visual codes of the time to reveal the attitudes toward gender, wealth, and morality in 18th-century society. The cultural context of the image illuminates the social dynamics and power structures prevalent at the time.