Arion op de dolfijn 1694

This engraving of Arion riding a dolphin was made by Joseph Mulder, likely in Amsterdam, in the late 17th or early 18th century. Its fine lines come from the use of a metal plate, probably copper, into which the design was incised with a tool called a burin. The plate would then have been inked and printed onto paper. The linear character of the image emphasizes the rippling sea, the texture of the dolphin’s skin, and the flowing robes and hair of Arion, the musician of Greek myth. Engraving was a highly skilled, laborious process. Each line is the result of a deliberate action. In Mulder’s time, printmaking was essential to the distribution of images and information, yet the engraver was often regarded as a technician, rather than an artist in their own right. Considering the social context in which this print was made helps us appreciate the engraver’s artistry and labor, moving beyond traditional hierarchies of art and craft.