Voorbereiding voor de bezoeken op Nieuwjaarsdag c. 1813 - 1815

This print, Voorbereiding voor de bezoeken op Nieuwjaarsdag, was made anonymously, likely sometime in the late 18th or early 19th century. It’s an etching, likely printed in multiples, and then delicately hand-colored. Consider the scene depicted: two well-to-do women preparing for social calls, attended to by a servant. It is contrasted by a man, perhaps the father of the women, seated and in partial disarray. Toys are strewn across the floor, perhaps discarded or broken. Notice how the printmaking process subtly underscores these social dynamics. Etching allows for precise lines and details, ideal for capturing the intricacies of clothing and setting. Yet, the hand-coloring adds a layer of luxury, suggesting a market for such images among the rising middle class. The clothing, the textiles, the objects depicted - all are commodities, produced through extensive labor, mostly out of sight. This print, seemingly a lighthearted scene, hints at the complex network of production and consumption that defined its time. It is a luxury item depicting other luxury items.