Young Girl from Torrent Making Bobbin Lace 

Gender and social class

Gender and life cycle

Gender and attire

In this work by José Benlliure Gil, the richly attired girl making bobbin lace in the privacy of her home depicts the paradigm of a young bride and future perfect wife. Young girls were educated in their roles as wife and mother within the family sphere. From a very young age, they were taught the tasks associated with the fairer sex. Domestic tasks included occupations related to dressmaking and ornamentation of attire, such as embroidery, knitting and lace-making, common activities for girls of well-to-do families. Such tasks filled a girl’s leisure time and allowed her to prepare her bridal trousseau, which was part of her dowry and evidence of the family’s economic standing.