Brieflezende vrouw 1847 - 1865

Henri van Seben made this print, “Brieflezende vrouw”, using a technique that involves painstaking labor: engraving. With engraving, the artist uses a tool called a burin to directly incise an image into a metal plate, usually copper. The incised lines hold ink, which is then transferred to paper under high pressure. The fineness of the lines and the subtle gradations of tone that Van Seben achieved suggest an enormous investment of time and skill. Consider that in the 19th century, prints like this were a primary means of circulating images, before photography became widespread. The labor-intensive nature of engraving was thus essential to the distribution of visual culture. Van Seben, in his choice of subject, represents a middle-class interior and a moment of quiet contemplation. But the image itself is made possible by a whole social and economic infrastructure: the engraver, the printer, the paper manufacturer, and, ultimately, the consumer of the print.