Childbirth, 17th century
Childbirth, 17th-century illustration. This 1633 engraving is by French artist Abraham Bosse, from his series on marriage. Here, he shows a woman giving birth in a room with religious imagery, on a folding bed, in the presence of her husband, a midwife, friends and maids and nuns. The quotes below are (left to right), from the birthing mother, the midwife, the husband, and a religious devotee.