De tien vermakelickheden des / houweliks 1723 - 1748

This is a print called 'The Ten Pleasures of Marriage,' made by Isaak van der Putte. It is an etching, which means that the design was first drawn into a waxy ground on a metal plate, and then the plate was immersed in acid to bite away the exposed lines. What's interesting here is how this method enables the wide distribution of images. This print probably wasn’t commissioned by a wealthy patron. Instead, its purpose was to be sold in multiples. The content is also revealing. The artist, or perhaps the publisher, divided up the image into ten vignettes of domestic life, all with wry captions about the pleasures of marriage. Although the final effect is quite charming, the process by which it was made is aligned with a new kind of visual culture that was becoming increasingly oriented toward mass production, reproduction, and consumption. And that’s a different aesthetic context than, say, a unique painting made for a king. So, by considering the labor and materials involved in making this print, we get a glimpse into the changing social landscape of art.