Spinnende herderin 1670 - 1697

This etching of a spinning shepherdess was made by Paul van Somer the Younger, around the turn of the 18th century. The image is delicately wrought, thanks to the etching process – lines are bitten into a metal plate with acid, then inked and printed. But consider the scene that Somer depicts: a woman, mediating between raw wool and finished thread. The spinning wheel represents a transitional moment in textile production. Before its invention, all thread was made by hand, laboriously drawing out and twisting fibers. With the spinning wheel, productivity increased exponentially, eventually leading to mechanized production. This image then, is not just a pastoral scene, but a vignette of proto-industrial labor. Somer elevates the spinner, but also reminds us of the material processes that underpinned early modern society. It bridges the gap between art and craft, inviting us to consider the social and economic context of artistic creation.