Fontein met waterbassin op hoog voetstuk 1680 - 1707

This print presents a fountain with water basin on a high pedestal, made by an anonymous artist. As an engraving, the image exists only because of labor – the labor of the designer, who conceived of the fountain, and the labor of the engraver, who translated that design into a reproducible image. Engraving is a painstaking process. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to physically cut lines into a copper plate. Ink would then be applied, and the surface wiped clean, leaving ink only in the incised lines. Finally, the plate would be pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Consider the engraver's skill in rendering the fountain’s three-dimensionality and intricate ornamentation. Through precise lines, they evoke the play of light on stone and the fluid movement of water. While it is unsigned, the print embodies a fascinating interplay between design, craft, and the wider cultural landscape, reflecting aspirations of beauty, luxury, and technological advancement.