Boerenvrouw staand bij een haard 1886 - 1912

Emanuel Samson van Beever made this etching, Boerenvrouw staand bij een haard, or Farmer's Wife Standing by a Hearth, in the Netherlands, at the beginning of the twentieth century. Here, the figure of the rural woman might be interpreted as a celebration of the Dutch countryside. The period in which this etching was made saw the growth of museums and art education, and one effect of that growth was to stimulate new kinds of art. We can ask, therefore, what social function such an image might have served at the time it was made? It could be a form of social commentary on the life of ordinary people. Van Beever was Jewish and perhaps felt himself to be on the margins of Dutch Society and so identified with those living a rural life. He was known for his etchings and drawings of landscapes, village scenes and figures. To interpret this image fully we could look further into the economic conditions in the Netherlands at the time. A researcher might also consider the artist's biography for clues to his intentions.