Blinde straatzanger 1803

This line engraving, titled ‘Blinde straatzanger’ and made by Jacob Ernst Marcus, depicts a blind street singer. The medium of choice, line engraving, is significant. Line engraving is an intaglio printmaking technique, in which lines are incised into a metal plate, using a tool called a burin. The image is created through a network of fine lines, requiring skill and precision to capture detail and texture. The lines are then filled with ink and printed onto paper, making it a cost-effective method for mass production. This method allowed for a wider distribution of images in an era before photography, creating a visual record of social life and urban scenes. The choice of line engraving reflects the growing importance of print culture in the 18th and 19th centuries, which democratized visual art and made it accessible to a broader audience. Marcus’s print engages with issues of labor and class, while blurring the boundaries between high art and craft.