Kalkovens bij Leiderdorp 1648 - 1671

Jan de Bisschop made this drawing of Kalkovens bij Leiderdorp using pen and brown ink, with a brown wash. These humble materials are perfectly suited to depict an equally humble industrial landscape. The wispy ink captures the smoke belching from the lime kilns. The brown wash models the kilns' rough texture, suggesting the coarse labor required to build and operate them. De Bisschop has paid close attention to the specific infrastructure and the process of production. Lime was a key ingredient in mortar, essential for building the very fabric of Dutch society. By focusing on these functional structures, De Bisschop directs our gaze toward the engine room of early modern capitalism, where materials and hard work literally formed the world. This image is a reminder that even the most unassuming drawings can tell us about the world of labor.