Man betaalt een vrouw 1705

This print, “Man betaalt een vrouw,” was made by Bernard Picart around 1705, using the technique of etching. The image gains its social force from the artist’s skilled manipulation of line. Etching allows for incredibly fine detail, visible here in the rendering of luxurious fabrics and the sitters’ elaborate hair. But it's also well-suited to conveying a sense of shadow and moral ambiguity. Consider the labor involved: the careful application of acid to the metal plate, the precise control required to create these delicate lines. Here, printmaking becomes a medium for social commentary, mirroring the economic transactions depicted. The artist implicates the viewer in this exchange. Is it an accurate portrayal of class relations? Or is it a fantasy, enabled by the consumption of luxury goods like prints? Ultimately, this print reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are deeply embedded in complex social and economic systems.