Jonge vrouw met een hondje 1777

Louis Marin Bonnet created this color chalk manner engraving called "Young Woman with a Dog" sometime in the late 18th century. It's a print, intended for wide distribution, and that tells us something about the image's appeal and the social values it embodies. The woman's dress and hair mark her as a member of the French aristocracy. The little dog was a common motif in Rococo art, symbolizing fidelity, and was a popular pet among wealthy women. Note the coins scattered on the table and the inscription that reads “The Pleasures of Education”, printed below. Consider how gender and class defined access to education at this moment in history. What kind of education was available for women of this social standing? Was it for personal intellectual development or for the maintenance of their social status? These are some of the questions a social historian might ask. Contemporary sources, like conduct books and educational treatises, may provide some answers. By situating the image in its social and institutional context, we can better understand its meanings and implications.