Twee voorstellingen met rijtuigen 1830

Victor Adam created these two scenes with carriages, using lithography, sometime in the first half of the 19th century. The top image, “Voitures des Nourrices,” depicts horse-drawn carriages transporting wet nurses. The second, “Cinq Heures du Matin,” shows a wagon laden with goods at five in the morning. These images offer a glimpse into the societal structures and labor practices of 19th-century Europe. Wet nurses, often women from rural backgrounds, were employed to breastfeed the children of wealthier families, highlighting the class disparities of the time. The early morning scene evokes the harsh realities of working-class life, with laborers transporting goods before dawn. Adam captures these moments with a detached eye, documenting the everyday lives of people from different social strata. The images prompt reflection on the gendered division of labor, the economic inequalities of the era, and the emotional implications of these social arrangements.