Jonge vrouw met hond 1756 - 1776

Gilles Demarteau made this print of a young woman with a dog. The woman is holding a small flower or piece of food, and the dog is jumping up to try and get it. Made in France, prints like this one were part of a booming art market in the 18th century. Images like this weren't just decorative; they helped shape ideas about class and gender. The woman's elegant dress and the dog's refined breed signal wealth and status. This idealization of leisure and refinement was particularly popular among the aristocracy. Prints could be displayed in the home, or collected in albums. Publishers like Demarteau were responding to a growing demand for art that reflected and reinforced the values of the time. By looking at images like this one, along with other sources like letters, diaries, and economic records, we can gain a better understanding of the social and cultural context in which they were made and consumed.