Landschap met boerin op landweg 1858

Jan van Lokhorst made this etching, titled "Landscape with a farmer's wife on a country road," sometime in the late 19th century. During this period, there was a romanticized view of rural life which can be felt in this scene. The idyllic portrayal of the woman walking along the path, framed by quaint cottages, speaks to the values of simplicity. But who was this woman in the landscape? Was she a celebration of the common woman, or did it represent the class divisions of the time? Perhaps it was both. Lokhorst seems to invite us to consider the roles and realities of women in agricultural settings. As you reflect on this piece, consider how it reinforces or challenges the dominant narratives about women in the 19th century.