Twee staande boerinnen, eentje met een kind op haar arm 1776 - 1815

Marie Lambertine Coclers created this print, “Two Standing Farm Women, One with a Child in Her Arms,” using etching. Although undated, the work reflects the social and cultural position of women in the 18th century. Here, Coclers depicts two women in a rural setting, one holding a child. Rather than presenting an idealized vision, the artwork offers an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of working-class women, emphasizing their roles as mothers and laborers. This representation contrasts sharply with the more common, often romanticized depictions of women in art during this period. Coclers herself navigated a patriarchal art world, and her choice to portray these women may reflect her own experiences and observations of gender roles. The print invites us to consider the labor, care, and community that shaped women's lives in the 1700s, and the social structures that often confined them.