Zweedse boer vergezeld door twee boerinnen 1704 - 1707

This print, made by Bernard Picart, probably in the early 18th century, shows a Swedish farmer accompanied by two women. It's an etching, meaning that the image was incised into a metal plate with acid. Look closely, and you’ll see the lines are quite precise, closely packed together to create areas of shadow and volume. It's a painstaking process, requiring not only artistic skill, but also a knowledge of metallurgy and chemistry. The acid had to be carefully controlled, and the plate cleaned thoroughly before printing. Prints like this were made in multiples and were relatively cheap to produce, making images accessible to a wide audience, which fueled both the spread of knowledge and the development of consumer culture. They are a perfect example of how the means of production can shape our understanding of a work. In this case, the very accessibility of the print is part of its cultural significance.