Jonge vrouw met een kool

About this artwork

plaatrand: hoogte 202 mm x breedte 145 mm

Art Historical Context

Bernard Picart’s 1701 engraving *Jonge vrouw met een kool* captures a young woman holding a cabbage in a modest, everyday pose. Created when the French-born artist was just twenty-eight, the small print (202 × 145 mm) reflects the period’s growing interest in genre scenes that celebrated ordinary life rather than grand historical subjects. Picart, who would later become one of Europe’s most sought-after illustrators, demonstrates his early mastery of line and texture through the engraving medium. Engraving allowed images like this to be reproduced and shared widely, helping shape public taste across borders. The crisp lines and delicate shading typical of the technique bring subtle realism to the figure’s clothing and the leafy cabbage, inviting viewers to appreciate both the subject’s simplicity and the artist’s technical precision. Such prints often found their way into private collections and books, bridging the worlds of fine art and popular culture in the early eighteenth century. Today the work offers a charming glimpse into Picart’s formative years and the enduring appeal of intimate, unpretentious imagery. Its modest size encourages close looking, rewarding museum visitors with details that reveal both the sitter’s quiet dignity and the engraver’s skillful hand.

About the Artist

Bernard Picart · 1673–1733

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