Gezicht op de Sint-Lievensmonstertoren en -kerk te Zierikzee 1696 - 1728

This print, depicting the Sint-Lievensmonstertoren and -kerk in Zierikzee, was made by Pieter Vogelaer in the 17th or 18th century. It’s an etching, made by incising lines into a metal plate, inking the surface, and then using a press to transfer the ink to paper. The linear quality of the image is entirely dependent on the artist’s skilled hand, cutting the metal. The effect is like a technical drawing, allowing the viewer to study every aspect of the impressive gothic architecture. Look closely, and you can see how Vogelaer uses hatching to create areas of shadow, lending depth to the architecture. This print would have been relatively easy to produce in multiples, and affordable. Prints like this circulated widely, connecting far-flung communities with images of monuments like the church, which would have required intense labour to build, and stood as a symbol of community pride. It's a reminder that the circulation of images, like that of architecture, is always tied to wider social issues of labor, politics, and consumption.