Ontwerp voor het titelblad van Sannisarius' Arcadia 1700 - 1759

Jan Wandelaar made this design for a title page with pen, brush, and gray and red ink in the early 18th century. Rather than using the pen to create tightly controlled lines, Wandelaar used the brush to create a looser wash. Wandelaar created this design to be engraved and printed, likely in multiples. The drawing would be given to an engraver who would then transfer the design to a metal plate. Ink would be applied to the plate and then printed onto paper. The image could then be distributed widely. The drawing itself, then, represents only the beginning of a much larger production process, and signals a desire to disseminate images and ideas. In this way, even a single sheet of paper speaks to the dawn of mass media. Examining this artwork through the lens of materials, making, and context allows us to look beyond the image itself, and consider its place in a larger world of labor, politics, and consumption.