Grootvader met kind 1758 - 1808

Christina Chalon created this etching, titled "Grandfather with Child", sometime in the late 18th century in the Netherlands. It depicts a grandfather holding a young child, likely his grandchild. The image offers insight into the domestic sphere of the Dutch middle class during this period. While the Dutch Golden Age was in the past, the etching reflects continued economic prosperity. The clothing of the grandfather, though simple, suggests a comfortable lifestyle. What makes this etching particularly interesting is that Christina Chalon was a woman working in a male-dominated art world. Though the Guild of Saint Luke existed at the time, institutions such as these academies often excluded women. Looking at census records, guild records, and other historical documents might provide clues to the social and economic conditions that allowed Chalon to become an artist and how her gender may have shaped her career.