Boer laadt hooi van een wagen terwijl boerin en zoon aan komen lopen met een emmer 1893

Romain Looymans made this etching of a rural scene in Belgium in the late 19th century. We see a farmer loading hay onto a cart, while a woman and child approach, presumably bringing refreshment. This image speaks to the realities of rural life in Belgium during this period. The country was rapidly industrializing, and many artists focused on the disappearing traditions of the countryside, often idealizing them. The image seems to reflect a conservative nostalgia for a simpler past. The printmaking medium itself is important. Etchings like this were relatively cheap to produce and collect. This meant that the image of rural life could be disseminated widely, and it may have been aimed at urban dwellers seeking an escape from the industrialized city. As art historians, we look to these images to better understand the complex social and economic changes that Belgium was undergoing at the time. We can consult census records, economic reports, and other historical documents to learn more about the lives of people like those depicted in Looymans' print. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.