Titel en titelvignet met man die schop in grond steekt in omlijsting met bladerkrans 1645

Cornelis van Dalen the first made this title vignette with a man digging in the ground, sometime between 1602 and 1665, using the printmaking technique of engraving. The materiality of this piece, the fine lines incised into a metal plate, speaks to a world increasingly shaped by the printing press. Unlike a unique painting or sculpture, prints could be reproduced and distributed widely, playing a crucial role in disseminating information. The act of engraving itself is labor-intensive. Each line had to be carefully cut into the metal, demanding great skill and time. This craft-based production contrasts sharply with the content of the print, which depicts a man engaged in agricultural labor – a very different kind of physical work. The combination of skilled artistic labor and the depiction of manual labor prompts us to consider the social hierarchies inherent in artistic production, and reminds us that all images are made by someone, under specific conditions.