Riviergezicht met een stoomboot 1854

This small print, River View with a Steamboat, was made by Joseph Hartogensis in 1864. He used etching, a process that democratized image-making in the 19th century. The materiality of this print speaks to the era's changing landscape. Notice how the steamboat, rendered in delicate lines, contrasts with the etched roughness of the riverbank. The etcher's needle, guided by hand, bites into the metal plate, mirroring the impact of industrialization on the natural world. Each line, each mark, is a testament to the labor involved in capturing a fleeting moment of technological advancement. Hartogensis's print embodies the tension between traditional craftsmanship and the rise of industry, reminding us that even the most delicate artworks are products of their time, shaped by the forces of labor, technology, and societal transformation.