Werkende figuren in een tuin 1726 - 1729

This print was made by Louis Jacob, sometime in the 18th century. It’s an etching, created by using acid to bite lines into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. The result is a delicate, finely detailed image of people at work in a rural garden. Jacob has skillfully used the etching process to evoke textures: the rough stone of the buildings, the lush foliage, and the woven haystacks. Look closely at the figures, the ways they are bent, and the tools they use, revealing the labor of rural life. In this era, printmaking was deeply connected to wider social issues. Prints like these were a means of disseminating images and ideas, a kind of social and political communication. This particular print romanticizes labor, making it palatable to those who didn’t have to do it. Remember that materiality, the making, and the social context are crucial for understanding the full meaning of this artwork.