Serf Collection

The grape harvest at the Chateau de Saumur (Loire Valley, France) in September
BOOK OF HOURS: SEPTEMBER. The grape harvest at the Chateau de Saumur (Loire Valley, France) in September. Illumination from the 15th century manuscript of the Tres Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry

Feudal lord instructing peasant workers
Peasants receiving their lords orders before going to work, 1400s. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction of a manuscript miniature illustration

Keeping warm by a farm fireside in February. Illumination from the 15th century manuscript of the Tres Riches Heures
BOOK OF HOURS: FEBRUARY. Keeping warm by a farm fireside in February. Illumination from the 15th century manuscript of the Tres Riches Heures, of Jean, Duke of Berry

The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, 1914. Artist: Mucha, Alfons Marie (1860-1939)
The Abolition of Serfdom in Russia, 1914. Found in the collection of City Gallery Prague

Russian women and a Finn
Russian women from the Ryazan region (left) and St Petersburg (right), and a Finnish woman (seated). Antique hand-colored print

Peasant paying rent in the late Middle Ages
Tenant paying rent, from a book of surveying printed in England, 1523. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction of an earlier illustration

Plowing with oxen and pruning vines in March. Illumination from the 15th century manuscript of the Tres Riches Heures
BOOK OF HOURS: MARCH. Plowing with oxen and pruning vines in March. Illumination from the 15th century manuscript of the " Tres Riches Heures" of Jean, Duke of Berry

Les Boyards réduits a cultiver... 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
Les Boyards reduits a cultiver... 19th century. The boyars are reduced to cultivating their land themselves, after their last serfs are recruited into the army

"The Russian Serf", painted by Joseph J. Jenkins - from the Exhibition of the Society of... 1854
"The Russian Serf", painted by Joseph J. Jenkins - from the Exhibition of the Society of Painters in Water-colours, 1854

Agriculture in the Middle Ages
Peasants sowing and cultivating fields outside a walled town in the Middle Ages. Printed halftone reproduction of a medieval manuscript miniature

Medieval peasant
Peasant carrying a shovel in the 1400s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th century illustration

Ms 1044 Fol. 74 The Wheel of Fortune, from Ovide Moralise written by Chretien Legouais
XIR177844 Ms 1044 Fol.74 The Wheel of Fortune, from Ovide Moralise written by Chretien Legouais (vellum) by French School, (14th century); Bibliotheque Municipale, Rouen

Emelian Ivanovich Pugachev (c. 1742-75) in prison (engraving) (b / w photo)
CHT207899 Emelian Ivanovich Pugachev (c.1742-75) in prison (engraving) (b/w photo) by French School, (18th century); Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris

Villains receiving their Lords Orders before going to Work
KW260577 Villains receiving their Lords Orders before going to Work, after a miniature in a 15th century manuscript, from Le Moyen Age et La Renaissance by Paul Lacroix (1806-84)

The Emancipation of Russian Serfs in 1861, 1908-09 (oil on canvas)
1555179 The Emancipation of Russian Serfs in 1861, 1908-09 (oil on canvas) by Kustodiev, Boris Mikhailovich (1878-1927); State Art Museum, Nizhny Novgorod

Peasants giving tithes, Alpine region, c. 1800-18 (coloured engraving)
468768 Peasants giving tithes, Alpine region, c.1800-18 (coloured engraving) by Italian School, (19th century); Private Collection; The Stapleton Collection; Italian, out of copyright

King Malcolm of Scotland Observes Agricultural Labour, 1586 (woodcut) (b / w photo)
XJF137009 King Malcolm of Scotland Observes Agricultural Labour, 1586 (woodcut) (b/w photo) by English School, (16th century); Private Collection; English, out of copyright

Tsar and boyars, 1907. Creator: Lebedev, Klavdi Vasilyevich (1852-1916)
Tsar and boyars, 1907. Private Collection

Allegory of Servitude. Creator: Padovanino (1588-1649)
Allegory of Servitude. Found in the Collection of Musei Vaticani in Viale Vaticano, Rome

The Reapers, c1830, (1939). Creator: Aleksey Venetsianov
The Reapers, c1830, (1939). Russian peasants with sickles and butterflies. Alexei Venetsianov (1780-1847) established his own school of painting and appointed court painter by Tsar Nicholas I

India. British colonial era. Banquet at the palace of Rais in Mynere. Engraving by Hildibrand. Colored. The Illustrated World, 1882

PEASANTS PAYING TAXES. Peasants paying taxes to their lord in both money and in livestock. Woodcut, 15th century

COUNTRY LIFE, 1504. Medieval woodcut, 1504

Russian Serf / Peasant - A Muzhik
Muzhik or mujik - a Russian peasant, usually from pre-1917 Imperial Russia. The term confers a certain degree of poverty, as most muzhiks were serfs before the 1861 agricultural reforms

Starving peasants begging in Russia, 1890s
Russian peasants near St. Petersburg begging soldiers for bread, 1890s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Polish women and a Russian couple, 1800s
Woman from Jaroslaw, Poland, woman from Tvier, and a couple from Kaluga in Russia. Antique hand-colored print

Russian peasant women with children, 1800s
Russian peasants in winter clothing. Antique hand-colored print

Medieval milking and churning
Peasants milking cows and a goat, and churning butter, 1100s. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction of a medieval illustration

Medieval manor and fields
Arrangement of manor lands and a farming village in the late Middle Ages. Hand-colored 19th-century woodcut reproduction of an earlier illustration

CNT02622WT033
Navarro Beach in Mendocino County in California

The Emancipation of the serfs in 1861, 1861. Found in the collection of I. Turgenev Memorial Museum, Moscow

Unforgettable day of the Emancipation of the serfs in 1861, 1865. Artist: Russian Master
Unforgettable day of the Emancipation of the serfs in 1861, 1865. Found in the collection of State History Museum, Moscow

Hassan I (1836-1894). Sultan of Morocco between 1873 and 1894, member of the Alaouite dynasty. The Sultan receives a dispatch. 19 the century engraving R. Caton Woodville. Colored

ASTROLOGY BOOK, 1511. Woodcut from an edition of Johannes Lichtenbergers astrology text Pronosticatio, Venice, 1511

POTEMKIN VILLAGE, 1787. Prince Grigori Potemkin showing Empress Catherine the Great of Russia an apparently contented and prosperous village in the Crimea region, 1787

GERMANY: PEASANTS WAR. Peasants fighting monks and the Pope. Woodcut, German, 1524

FE scanning electron microscopy C016 / 3821
FE scanning electron microscopy. Researcher operating a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). This is a F JEOL 6320F FE-SEM

Scanning transmission electron microscopy C016 / 3815
Scanning transmission electron microscopy. Researcher using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) to analyse the structure of solid-state materials

Mowing, raking, and stacking hay on the outskirts of Paris in June. Illumination from the 15th century manuscript of
BOOK OF HOURS: JUNE. Mowing, raking, and stacking hay on the outskirts of Paris in June. Illumination from the 15th century manuscript of the Tres Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry

Home of a medieval Saxon nobleman
Residence of a Saxon nobleman, early Middle Ages. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

GEUR2A-00020
Russian serfs greeting a noble, 1800s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Starving peasants begging from wealthy Russians, 1890s
Starving Russian peasants begging from a wealthy couple in the town of Kazan, 1890s. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

GEUR2A-00055
Russian peasant women at work, carrying large stones on a litter. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Russians from the Volga and Mordovia, 1800s
People of the Volga region of Russia, including a Mordovian man (left). Antique hand-colored print

The decree of Emperor Alexander II (1818-1881) to the Emancipation of the serfs, 1861. Found in the collection of Russian State Historical Archive (RGIA)

Before departure, 1920. Private Collection

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"From Serfs to Emancipation: A Glimpse into the Lives of Medieval Peasants" Step back in time and witness the grape harvest at Chateau de Saumur, where laborers toiled under the watchful eye of their feudal lord. This 15th-century illumination from the Tres Riches Heures of Jean, Duke of Berry, captures a scene steeped in tradition and hard work. As winter's chill settled over the land, peasants sought warmth by a fireside on a farm. The illuminated manuscript reveals their humble existence during February - a reminder that survival often depended on gathering around crackling flames. Rent day was an inevitable part of serfdom in the late Middle Ages. Picture a peasant handing over his hard-earned produce as payment to his lord, highlighting the unequal power dynamics prevalent during this era. March brought new tasks for these laborers; plowing with oxen and pruning vines became essential duties. The manuscript's vivid illustration showcases their dedication to cultivating crops amidst changing seasons - an integral aspect of medieval agriculture. Traveling beyond Europe's borders, we catch glimpses of serf-like conditions elsewhere. Russian women alongside a Finn demonstrate how servitude transcended geographical boundaries while shedding light on different cultural practices. Across continents, British colonial rule left its mark on India. A lavish banquet at Rais i palace symbolizes both opulence and exploitation - reminding us that serfdom extended far beyond medieval times. Yet hope emerged amidst oppression as history witnessed emancipation movements taking root worldwide. In 1861, Russia liberated its serfs from bondage - marking a significant milestone towards freedom for those who had long endured subjugation. Delving deeper into historical dioramas reveals more facets of servitude: slave dances in Suriname depict harrowing scenes from 1830 while Zeezigt plantation offers insight into coffee and cotton production during c1815-21.