Maria met Kind bij H. Sebastiaan 1874

This print, Maria met Kind bij H. Sebastiaan, was made by Johannes de Mare sometime in the 19th century. It is a very particular kind of image, made through a laborious process of etching or engraving. Look closely, and you can see how this technique influences the image. Every line had to be carefully inscribed into a metal plate, a skilled and painstaking process. The very act of translating painting to print in this way has social implications. It makes images portable and reproducible, like commodities. This allows them to be shared far and wide. Think of the labor involved in this process, and the many steps involved in its creation. It makes one appreciate the tradition of printmaking, and the labor and social impact inherent in every line.