The Garden Arbor 

This engraving by Eugene de Blaas captures a moment in a tailor's workshop. We see the tailor kneeling to fit trousers to a well-dressed man, while women sew and gossip. The stark black and white lines, typical of engraving, render the textures of cloth, wood, and skin, and emphasize the hard work involved in tailoring. Note the contrast between the tailor's humble attire and bowed posture, and the client's fine clothes and upright stance. The women’s hands, blurred in the picture, further highlight the repetitive, skilled labor involved in the production of clothing. This image reflects a society undergoing rapid industrialization, where traditional crafts like tailoring were both valued and challenged by new modes of production. The artist draws our attention to the social dynamics inherent in the creation of clothing. By focusing on the labor involved in the making process, de Blaas challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft, inviting us to consider the social and economic context in which clothing is produced and consumed.