Paar aan een tafel 1662 - 1726

This print, "Paar aan een tafel", or "Couple at a table", was made by an anonymous artist. It’s rendered with the technique of etching, a printmaking process using acid to cut lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and pressed onto paper. The image depicts an intimate scene, a glimpse into the leisured existence of the upper class. Consider the labour involved in creating the garments, wigs, and lace worn by the subjects; each a testament to the skilled craftsmanship and extensive labour of unseen hands. The very act of etching, with its time-consuming, painstaking detail, mirrors the social and economic structures of its time. By focusing on the process and materiality of this print, we gain a deeper insight into the socio-economic context from which it emerged. The print serves as a record of an era that saw production and consumption as visual statements of class.