Boerenvrouw draagt een zak op haar schouders c. 1897

Willem Witsen made this etching of a farmer's wife carrying a heavy sack, using a metal plate and acid to create the image. Consider the labor-intensive process of etching itself; the artist carefully draws into a prepared ground, the acid bites the exposed metal, and then the plate is inked and printed. All this just to produce an image of… more labor. Look closely, and you'll see the woman's hunched posture, her determined gaze, and the weight of the sack pressing down on her. Witsen, although from a wealthy family, was interested in the lives of ordinary people. The etching technique, with its fine lines and tonal gradations, allows Witsen to capture the textures of the woman's clothing and the rough terrain she traverses. The very act of making this print acknowledges the immense physical effort that goes into rural life. It’s a powerful statement about the dignity of labor, and a reminder of the human cost behind the food on our tables. It invites us to reflect on the social and economic structures that shape our world, and the value we place on different forms of work.