Woman Carding Wool 1855

Jean-François Millet made this image of a Woman Carding Wool, using etching, in nineteenth-century France. Here, Millet presents a peasant woman involved in the process of textile production. By depicting the carding of wool, a task typically done by women in rural communities, the image speaks to broader social and economic structures of the time. Notice the woman’s posture and clothing. These visual cues emphasize her connection to the land and her role in the agrarian economy. Millet's choice to focus on such subject matter reflects the growing interest in depicting the lives of working-class individuals. This was an era marked by industrialization and urbanization, leading to social and economic disparities. The image serves as a commentary on the changing social landscape and the role of labor within it. To understand this artwork better, one might research the agricultural practices and social hierarchies of 19th-century France and the institutions that both supported and critiqued them.