Drie werktuigen 1652 - 1707

Gérard Edelinck made this print of three tools using engraving techniques. The fine lines of the engraving bring an incredible clarity to these objects, and the subtle tonal gradations gives them volume. These are not traditional ‘art’ materials or processes, but rather the tools and materials of the workaday world. It’s this practical connection that gives the print its significance. The three agricultural tools are rendered with such an eye to detail that the artist seems to want to showcase their ingenuity. We can imagine the labor involved both in their use, and in their construction. Of course, prints like this also had a practical purpose. They were not simply aesthetic objects, but part of an enlightenment project to document and disseminate knowledge – hence the plate numbers and identifying letters that you can see on the image. In this sense, Edelinck’s print blurs the lines between art, craft, and documentation, reminding us that all making is a form of knowledge.