Twee mannen zetten het vuur aan het spinrokken van een slapende vrouw 1739 - 1804

This etching, made by Johann Andreas Benjamin Nothnagel in the 18th century, captures a raucous scene. The image is made using etching, a printmaking technique that involves using acid to corrode lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. Here, the artist would have carefully controlled the depth and thickness of the lines to create the illusion of light and shadow, crucial to the image’s narrative. The scene depicts a group of men playing a prank on a sleeping woman, setting fire to her spinning wheel. Spinning was a fundamental aspect of textile production at the time, and the spinning wheel represented labor and domesticity. By depicting the men disrupting this symbol, Nothnagel hints at social commentary. The very act of etching, with its reliance on craft skill and the multiplication of images, puts this work in dialogue with wider issues of production and consumption. Ultimately, this etching invites us to consider the relationship between materials, making, and social context, challenging the traditional boundaries between fine art and craft.