Aanmaning tot de jeugd / Exhoration a la jeunesse 1800 - 1833

This hand-colored etching, titled "Exhortation to Youth," was made by Philippus Jacobus Brepols, likely in the early 19th century. Looking closely, we see lines incised into a metal plate to create these vignettes. The printmaking process allowed for mass production, making moral lessons like these more widely accessible. The application of color by hand, however, would have been a more labor-intensive task, perhaps involving a workshop of artisans. Each scene depicts a cautionary tale for young people, promoting virtues like piety, diligence, and patriotism. The very material of the print—a multiplication of an image—speaks to the social context in which it was made, an era of expanding literacy and print culture. It suggests a society eager to instill particular values in its youth. Consider, too, the contrast between the industrialized printing and the individual act of hand-coloring. It's a reminder that even seemingly mass-produced objects often bear the mark of human labor, and that the distinction between art and craft is never quite as clear-cut as we might think.