Figuren en bezigheden 1806 - 1830

Johan Noman, a book printer from Zaltbommel, made this print in 1814 using ink on paper. It's a great example of how printing technology, even at its early stages, could represent and circulate images of everyday life. The print consists of various scenes, each depicting figures engaged in different occupations and activities. We see people drinking, trading, and farming. The images are rendered through engraving, a process involving skilled labor, using tools to incise lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. The relatively low cost of the paper, combined with the efficiency of printmaking, allowed for wider distribution, reflecting the changing dynamics of labor and commerce. The images become accessible to a broader public, capturing slices of everyday life, and speaking to a society increasingly defined by work, trade, and the circulation of images. So, the next time you encounter a print, remember it as both an artwork and as a window into the historical world of labor, production, and consumption.