Pamela vraagt om een gunst in de tuin Possibly 1745 - 1747

This print, made by Antoine Benoist, uses etching and engraving, techniques rooted in the reproductive trades of the 18th century. Look closely, and you’ll see the intricate network of lines, which build up the image. Benoist used specialized tools to cut into a metal plate, inking the recesses so that the design would transfer to paper under pressure. The result is a kind of mass production, ideally suited to disseminating imagery to a wide audience. In this case, the image illustrates a scene from Samuel Richardson’s novel "Pamela," a sensation when it appeared. The popularity of Pamela made it ripe for image culture, and prints like this one allowed readers to encounter its scenes again and again. Notice the labor involved, both in the meticulous work of the printmaker, and also in the system of consumption that made prints like this so popular. It reminds us that art, even in its most seemingly rarefied forms, is deeply enmeshed with production and exchange.