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Village Girl Dancing

Publisher Jean I Leblond French
1626–28
Not on view
Having laid down her distaff (spindle for spinning wool or flax), a young woman takes a break from her work and enjoys the carefree pleasures of dancing. The verses below the image—written in the first person, as if sung by the woman—emphasize the joys of her unburdened existence. The mention in the third stanza of a love interest called Colin, the name given to shepherds in a handful of pastoral poems and stories of the period, underscores the idea that freedom is found in the countryside, away from urban, mercantile activity.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Village Girl Dancing
  • Artist: Abraham Bosse (French, Tours 1602/04–1676 Paris)
  • Publisher: Jean I Leblond (French, ca. 1590–1666 Paris)
  • Date: 1626–28
  • Medium: Etching
  • Dimensions: Sheet (trimmed): 11 5/16 × 7 9/16 in. (28.7 × 19.2 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1930
  • Object Number: 30.54.26
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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