De dwerg Winvelius van Kroeg verlaats dalen, 1720 1718 - 1720

This etching, titled "De dwerg Winvelius van Kroeg verlaats dalen," was made around 1720 by Anna Folkema. It's a print, so we know that it was made by incising lines into a metal plate, inking the surface, and then transferring the image onto paper. While etching seems a fine art practice, printmaking was really the engine of visual culture in the 18th century. It was how images circulated and ideas were disseminated. Looking closely, we can see the marks of the etcher's tool, and the way that line work is used to create tone and texture. The deliberate mark-making gives the image a sense of depth, and character to the figure. The choice of printmaking also speaks to broader issues of labor and consumption. These prints were relatively inexpensive to produce, which made them accessible to a wide audience. Ultimately, understanding the materiality and production of the work encourages us to question conventional boundaries between fine art and craft, recognizing the vital role these played in shaping visual culture and society.