Drinker 1821 - 1879

This is an engraving by jonkheer Isaac Lambertus Cremer van den Berch van Heemstede, who lived in the 19th century. It depicts a man enjoying a drink, and we can learn a lot about the time it was made by looking at its materiality. The engraving process is key. It's an intaglio process, where lines are incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. The image is built up from many carefully worked lines. The quality of the print depends on the engraver's skill, and the time they put in. This one has a very high level of detail. In its time, engraving was both a creative and reproductive medium. On the one hand, you have the artistry of the engraver, who in this case was also the creative force behind the image. But engraving was also used to disseminate images. As such, it played a role in the development of mass culture. Seeing that this is a print, one of many, it’s an artwork tied to production, labor and consumption.