Man met visnet bij beek 1847 - 1865

Adolf Carel Nunnink created this print, “Man met visnet bij beek”, using lithography. Lithography is a printmaking process where an image is drawn on a flat stone or metal plate using a greasy substance. The stone is then treated with chemicals, so that only the drawn parts attract ink. When the inked stone is pressed onto paper, it transfers the image. Here, the artist has captured a landscape scene with a man fishing in a stream. The lithographic process allows for a wide range of tones and textures, evident in the detailed rendering of the foliage and water. In this print, the man fishing appears as part of a larger ecosystem, subtly drawing attention to the relationship between humans and nature. It prompts us to consider the labor involved in obtaining resources from the environment, while questioning our understanding of the image as either fine art or as a record of human activity. This interplay between materials, making, and context broadens our understanding of its meaning.