Verliefd paar onder een boom 1599

This print, Lovers under a Tree, was made in 1599 by Nicolaes Jansz. Clock, using the process of engraving. The magic of engraving lies in its capacity for crisp detail. Look closely, and you’ll see how Clock has deployed hatching – tiny parallel lines – to model the forms of the figures and landscape. It's a testament to Clock's control of the burin – the sharp tool used to cut into the metal plate. This wasn’t just a feat of manual dexterity, though. Printmaking at this time was also a business. It allowed images to be widely disseminated and consumed, thus fueling the economy of art. Prints like this one helped to shape ideas about courtship and love. Next time you see an engraving, consider not just the image, but the labor and social context that brought it into being. This challenges the traditional view of art as solely the product of individual genius.