Twee vrouwen c. 1679 - 1750

This is a print called "Two Women," made by an anonymous artist. It is difficult to know exactly when, since the date is unknown. The technique here is engraving, which involves using a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a metal plate. The plate is then inked, and the ink wiped away, leaving it only in the carved lines. Then, paper is pressed against the plate. The high pressure is what pulls the ink up from the plate and onto the paper. The image is defined by a crisp linearity that you just can't achieve any other way. What's also interesting is that the prints could be produced in relatively large numbers. This brings art to a wider audience, but also inserts it into the economy of commercial exchange. The question of anonymity also comes into play here. The artist is less like a singular genius, more like a skilled worker, whose identity has not survived the printing process.