In this nineteenth century American genre painting, a guest, the war pension claim agent, is welcomed into a rural home. A bed is a prominent piece of furniture in the main room where the guest is entertained and the three women work at daily chores, sewing and preparing food.
Painting, Eastman Johnson, The Pension Claim Agent, 1867. (Courtesy of WikiArt)
Image featured in Investigating Family, Food, and Housing Themes in Social Studies by Cynthia Resor
This image could be used in my classroom when teaching a lesson on the past roles of women in civilization. I could talk about their role and how it has changed from the past to today.