Paar bij een boerenschuur c. 1780 - 1840

This etching of a farm scene was made by Carel Lodewijk Hansen, likely in the late 18th or early 19th century. It’s created using etching, a printmaking process where acid is used to cut into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. The effect of the etching process gives us an extraordinary sense of line and texture, particularly in the thatched roof and the rough-hewn timbers of the barn. Think of the labor involved, both in building the structure and in the farming activities depicted. We see a couple resting by a hay pile, a testament to the hard work necessary for survival. The print itself, as a multiple, would have been relatively accessible, a stark contrast to the laborious, singular task of farming it depicts. By focusing on the material reality and the labor behind both the image and its subject, we can appreciate how Hansen blurs the lines between the creation of art and the realities of everyday life, asking us to consider the value of both.