Jonge man en vrouw ploegen samen de grond terwijl de man de vrouw kust 1831 - 1877

Adolphe Alexandre Dillens created this print of a young man and woman plowing in the fields, sometime in the mid-19th century. Made with etching, the composition captures the couple in a moment of intimate exchange. The dense web of lines, a hallmark of etching, creates a rich, almost palpable texture to the figures and the landscape. Notice the way the figures are framed: their bodies overlap, and the man kissing the woman. The composition uses the earth as a visual ground to explore themes of labor, love, and perhaps, fertility. Dillens masterfully uses the medium to create a captivating, intimate scene. Consider how Dillens’s use of line and form does not just depict a scene, but invites us to contemplate deeper structural relationships: between humans and nature, labor and affection. The density of the etching lines creates a world that feels both immediate and timeless, a reminder of the enduring connections that bind us.