Stijgbeugels c. 1589 - 1593

Philips Galle made this engraving, "Stijgbeugels," sometime between 1570 and 1612. The medium here is crucial: Galle was a printmaker, and the image would have been produced by incising lines into a metal plate, inking it, and then pressing it onto paper. Note how Galle uses the graphic capacity of the print medium to depict a range of textures, from the smooth flanks of the horses to the rough stone paving of the street. He is also careful to show us the material culture of the equestrian life: the saddles, stirrups, and other leather goods that are essential to the experience of riding. The print gives us insight into the division of labor involved in the production of these items. We see smiths at their forges, leatherworkers hunched over their benches. These trades were vital to the economy of early modern Europe, and prints like this one helped to document and celebrate their importance. In doing so, Galle elevates craft to the level of fine art.