The Mill on the River 1774

Editor: So, this is "The Mill on the River" by Jean Jacques de Boissieu. It looks like an etching. The scene feels quite idyllic, almost like a postcard from a simpler time. What can you tell me about it? Curator: This print invites us to consider the social and economic realities of 18th-century rural life. The mill isn't just a picturesque structure; it's a site of labor, intrinsically tied to systems of production and power. Who benefits from the mill's operation, and whose labor sustains it? Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered. It makes you think about the unseen people connected to this landscape. Curator: Precisely! And how does this representation, likely intended for a wealthy audience, romanticize or obscure those realities? It prompts us to question the narratives embedded in seemingly bucolic scenes.