Biddende vrouw in de natuur 1721

Jacob Folkema made this print, "Biddende vrouw in de natuur," sometime before his death in 1767. Look closely, and you can see the telltale signs of the engraving process: the crisp, precise lines that build up the image, all incised into a metal plate. It’s a world away from painting. In the print, a woman kneels in prayer, while a goddess rides through the clouds above. The contrast between earthly labor and divine ease is interesting here. Printmaking, in its day, was a distinctly commercial, even industrial process. This engraving could be reproduced many times over, distributing its message widely. We might therefore see it as an artifact of an early media landscape. The real labor in the image, however, is Folkema’s own. Every detail, from the leaves on the trees to the folds in the woman’s dress, had to be patiently and skillfully etched. This print is a potent reminder that even seemingly effortless images are the result of painstaking work. It invites us to consider the labor involved in all forms of artistic production.