Het planten van de sinaasappel- en citroenbomen in Genua 1646

This print, “Het planten van de sinaasappel- en citroenbomen in Genua,” was made around 1600 by Johann Friedrich Greuter, using an engraving technique. Look closely, and you'll see that Greuter has carefully rendered the scene with precise lines incised into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed. It's a world away from our digital image culture. The amount of patient labor involved is obvious. Consider also the subject: the planting of citrus trees. This wasn’t just agriculture, but a sign of prosperity and trade. Oranges and lemons, being exotic in Northern Europe at the time, were luxury goods. The print showcases the labour involved – digging, planting, and pruning – alongside more genteel figures. Ultimately, the image invites us to think about the relationship between manual work and high society, between the materials that come from the earth and the structures of wealth that they supported. It's a reminder that even the most refined images have roots in the physical world.