Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van een dorpsgezicht in Nederland before 1876

Anselm Schmitz made this photogravure reproduction of a Dutch village scene. This quiet image draws us into the domestic sphere of 19th-century Holland. Consider the social dynamics at play. The original painting, made by Johannes Vermeer, probably offered a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people, something often overlooked in favor of portraits of the wealthy. Schmitz’s reproduction, then, makes this image even more accessible to a broader public. But we must also ask: whose perspective is centered here? The composition allows viewers to observe the scene from a detached, perhaps privileged, point of view. What stories remain untold? How does it invite us to reflect on the lives of those depicted, their daily routines and the economic structures that shape their realities?