Schoorsteenmantel c. 1680 - 1700

This design for a chimney piece was made by Pieter Schenk, probably in Amsterdam, in the late 17th or early 18th century. It’s an etching, which means that the image was incised into a metal plate, inked, and then printed onto paper. The lines are crisp and precise, giving the design a sense of formality appropriate to its intended purpose. The chimney piece, with its elaborate decorations, speaks to the wealth and taste of the home’s occupants. The production of prints like this was a key part of the design culture of the period. They circulated widely, allowing for the standardization of fashionable taste. An etching like this, therefore, gives us insight into the economies of labor and aspiration that underpinned Dutch society. It reminds us that even the most apparently refined objects are the products of a complex social and economic context. Considering an artwork through the lens of its making helps us to appreciate its full significance.