IJzeren eeuw 1670 - 1724

Jacob Gole made this print, *IJzeren Eeuw*, in Amsterdam sometime between 1660 and 1737. It's an etching, meaning Gole used acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which was then inked and printed onto paper. The image is an allegory of the Iron Age, a mythological period of decline and depravity. The figure in the foreground, presumably representing the Iron Age, is rendered with fine lines to depict the texture of fabrics, hair, and metal. This printmaking process allowed for the distribution of this allegorical image to a wide audience during a period of significant social and political upheaval. The relatively inexpensive medium makes it very different from other works depicting allegorical depictions of royalty or power. Gole’s choice of printmaking as a medium suggests an intention to engage with wider social issues, offering commentary on labor, politics, and consumption, a visual criticism made accessible through relatively cheap methods of production. It invites us to consider how prints can be powerful tools for social commentary, challenging traditional hierarchies within the art world.