Drinkende man met grote hoed 1613 - 1638

Charles David created this etching, "Drinking Man with a Large Hat," around the 1620s. Think about the physical demands of printmaking; the hand-eye coordination, the force required to manipulate the tools, the skilled labor. This image was created by incising lines into a metal plate, a physically intensive process that requires considerable skill. The image is all about abundance, and perhaps over-indulgence. The wicker bottle that the figure is hoisting to his lips must have been relatively cheap to produce, meaning that even the lower classes could attain access to them. David shows the man drinking deeply, as though determined to consume as much as possible. The print is a reminder that even seemingly simple images can be the product of complex social and economic forces. By considering the material and the making, we can gain a richer understanding of the print's full meaning and impact.