Vrouw met kinderen op een slee 1764

Jean Baptist Leprince made this print, "Woman with children on a sled," using etching, a printmaking process that democratized image production. The image, rendered in delicate lines, shows a woman pulling children on a sled through a snowy landscape. The visible labor involved in pulling the sled reminds us of the realities of daily life, in contrast to aristocratic leisure. The etching technique itself is important here. It allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images, making them accessible to a wider audience. Consider the amount of work involved, from preparing the metal plate to printing each impression, each step requiring skilled labor. The print operates within a burgeoning economy of images, produced and consumed on a vast scale, mirroring the changing social landscape of the 18th century. This challenges the traditional hierarchy between fine art and practical craft.