Onderboezem, schacht gedecoreerd met landschap before 1643

This print of a chimneypiece, by Abraham Bosse, shows us the kind of luxury object that would have been desired in the 17th century. Bosse was a master of etching, a printmaking process that uses acid to bite lines into a metal plate. Note the precision of the lines, creating subtle gradations of tone to represent the landscape painting above the hearth. The cherub and garlands at the top, and the caryatids at the sides, are similarly described with incredible detail. But consider, too, the labor involved. Not just Bosse's, but also the many artisans who would have been needed to create such a fireplace: stonemasons, carvers, and painters. This print gives us a sense of the coordinated effort required for elite consumption, and also how such designs circulated. Etchings like this allowed for the democratization of taste, spreading the aesthetic of the wealthy to a wider audience.