Wirtshausszene, rechts eine Gruppe um einen Tisch, links eine Gruppe von weiteren Gästen und mehreren Hunden 

Friedrich Rottmann created this pen and brown ink drawing, "Wirtshausszene," or "Tavern Scene," in Germany in the late 18th or early 19th century. Consider the role of taverns during Rottmann’s life. They served as public spaces where men from various social strata could meet, debate, and solidify their social and political identities. Rottmann depicts a group of such men gathered around tables, smoking pipes, drinking, and eating. Dogs mill around their feet and the men seem to be in lively discussion. This scene presents a gendered perspective of public life in that era. It highlights the exclusion of women from these spaces of social and political exchange. It invites us to reflect on how class distinctions and social roles shape our access to public life, even in spaces as seemingly open as a tavern.