a Whale Swims Between Two Icebergs, Where It is Crushed. the Whalers Manage to Cut the Wire in Time and Save Themselves 

This illustration by Edouard Riou captures a harrowing moment during a 19th-century whaling expedition. It's made with a technique common at the time: wood engraving, where the artist carves an image into a block of wood, then uses it to make prints. The sharp lines and high contrast of the print emphasize the drama of the scene. Look at the looming icebergs, rendered with dense hatching, and the small whaling boat caught between them. You can almost feel the crushing pressure. This wasn't just a hunt for sustenance; it was an industry, driving men to risk their lives for whale oil and other products. Wood engraving was a key technology for mass media, allowing images like this to reach a wide audience, shaping perceptions of labor, nature, and the relationship between them. Considering the making of this image reminds us that it's not just a picture, but also a product of its time, reflecting complex social and economic forces.