Moeder met drie kinderen en een hond 1822

Chrétien created this print, “Moeder met drie kinderen en een hond”, which translates to “Mother with three children and a dog,” using an engraving technique. Here, we see a woman seated in what appears to be a well-appointed home, attended by her children and a servant. Look at how the artist has captured the mother’s gaze, directed slightly downward, perhaps a sign of the weight of her domestic responsibilities. This image reflects the complex intersections of gender, class, and domesticity. The mother, adorned in elegant clothing, embodies the ideals of motherhood and domesticity valued by the bourgeoisie of the time. The presence of the servant underscores the economic disparities of the era, quietly highlighting the labor that sustained this domestic idyll. It's a complex tableau: the love and labor, the seen and unseen, all interwoven in the fabric of family life.