Klerken en leden van Gedeputeerde Staten van Friesland in de begrafenisstoet van prinses Maria Louise, 1765 1765

Rienk Jelgerhuis made this print in 1765 depicting officials at the funeral procession of Princess Maria Louise. The printmaking process involves applying ink to a metal plate that has been etched with an image, and then transferring the image to paper with a press. It’s a fairly repeatable industrial process. Printmaking allowed for the mass production and distribution of images, playing a crucial role in shaping public opinion and cultural memory. The choice of subject here—the funeral of a princess—speaks to the commemorative function that prints often served. The work immortalizes an important public event. Consider the labor that went into creating this image. The artist needed technical skill and mastery of tools to carefully engrave lines onto the metal plate. The print itself offers insight into the social and political hierarchies of the time. By attending to materials, processes, and social context, we see how this print blurs the boundary between craft and fine art.