A Woman Shearing Sheep

Sheep shearing, to meet the textile industryʼs growing demand for wool, was performed by women as often as men. Photographers near Fontainebleau depicted such quintessential agrarian activities as part of their exploration of country life, and many sold photographs of animals, landscapes, and laborers to painters and art historians. Giraudon was particularly enterprising, opening his Bibliothèque Photographique in Paris across the street from the École des Beaux-Arts to cater to students.