Floras Narrehue (Floraes Gecks-kap) 1637

Pieter Nolpe created this print, Floras Narrehue, sometime around 1637, using the technique of etching. Etching involves covering a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant coating. The artist then scratches an image into the coating, exposing the metal beneath. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. Ink is then applied to the plate, filling these grooves, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the ink and creating the print. Here, Nolpe is using the medium to make a satirical comment on the Dutch tulip mania. The print shows figures emerging from a jester's cap, suggesting foolish behavior. On the right, men are digging in the dirt and tending to the precious bulbs, emblems of the speculative market. Nolpe’s choice of etching is significant. Its relative ease and capacity for detail made it perfect for circulating commentary, like political cartoons today. Nolpe is participating in a broader discourse of labor, value, and social critique, all enabled by the printmaking process.