Schrijver en een uitgever bespreken vertaling 1800

This print, "Schrijver en een Uitgever Bespreken Vertaling", or "Writer and Publisher Discussing Translation," was made by F. Sansom using etching and engraving. This image is dominated by lines, hatched and cross-hatched to create shadow and volume. Note the satirical representation of these two men, the author eager and intense, and the publisher, portly and skeptical. Consider the labor involved in producing this image, from the initial sketch to the meticulous engraving of the plate, and the printing of multiple impressions. The print is an artwork, but also a commodity. The publisher is clearly concerned with the marketability of the book he is publishing. "Nothing will go down but light summer reading" he says. And here we see the intersection of art, commerce, and social commentary. Sansom's print speaks to the changing tastes of the public and the commodification of literature. It’s a reminder that art is always intertwined with the social and economic conditions of its time.