Staand meisje met pluimveemand 1838

This etching of a standing girl with a poultry basket was made by Pierre Louis Dubourcq in the Netherlands in the mid-19th century. The girl’s simple dress, headscarf, and wooden clogs mark her as working class and the basket suggests she is involved in the sale of poultry or eggs. The image speaks to the social structure of the Netherlands at this time, where a significant portion of the population was engaged in agricultural labor. It’s a depiction that romanticizes rural life, showing an idealized version of peasant life, which contrasts with the industrializing cities. Dubourcq’s choice of subject matter may be a reflection of the time's art market, where there was a growing interest in genre scenes depicting everyday life. By studying the market, exhibition records, and art criticism of the time, we can gain a deeper understanding of how this image functioned within its original social and cultural context.