Jonge straatmuzikante c. 1887

Ernst Witkamp created this etching of a young street musician in the Netherlands during the late 19th century. The image encapsulates a sense of the era's social realities and artistic trends. The girl's posture, her plain dress and the violin in her hand speak volumes about the social conditions of the time. Child labor was a grim reality in rapidly industrializing European countries. We see the industrial landscape in the background. Witkamp doesn't shy away from portraying the raw, unvarnished truth of working-class life. It's interesting to note that Witkamp was part of a broader artistic movement that sought to depict everyday life with unflinching realism. We can look to sources like newspaper articles, social surveys, and photographs from that time to build a richer understanding of the world Witkamp was representing. We can consider this image as both an artwork, and a historical document.