Gezicht op de stad Londen gezien vanaf de noordzijde 1753

Robert Sayer’s “View of London from the North” is a print, made from an engraved copper plate and then hand-colored. This was a relatively mechanized, reproducible image, and this fact is critical to its meaning. Engraving allowed for the detailed rendering of London's urban landscape, but it's the printmaking process that really tells the tale. Consider the division of labor: one person to draw, another to engrave, and others to print and color the image. It was an early form of industrial image production. The uniformity and detail made possible by this process speak to London's burgeoning role as a global hub of commerce and manufacturing. This wasn't just a picture; it was a commodity, made to circulate. Sayer wasn't just creating art, he was participating in and picturing the economic activity of his time. The print thus represents both the view of London, and the mechanisms of its distribution. It’s a powerful reminder that art is always entangled with production, labor, and the marketplace.