The Little Puck 1700 - 1800

This print, called "The Little Puck," was made by an anonymous artist using etching, a printmaking technique that flourished in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. The scene depicts a rural gathering, perhaps a market day, near the town of Issy, in France. We see figures playing games, trading livestock, and generally enjoying each other's company. It's worth noting that France in this period was a deeply stratified society, but gatherings like this could have the potential to blur social boundaries. What is the relationship between people in the image? Does the print normalize the hierarchies of French society, or does it offer a more egalitarian vision? To answer such questions we can look to historical sources, such as journals, newspapers, and other prints like this one, to understand the social rituals of the time. The meaning of the image is contingent on its social and institutional context.