Naaiende boerin 1897

Frans Lebret created this intimate portrait of a seamstress with etching. Here, the quality of the drawn line is paramount. Notice how Lebret rendered this woman with a network of thin marks. The character and density of the lines define her form, the fabric of her clothes, and the background. The etched line is an efficient means of description. It also implies an attitude: one of respectful observation. This image invites us to consider the social context of making. Garments were most often produced at home or in small workshops. Etchings like this were, in their way, also a cottage industry, made for sale to a growing middle class with an interest in depictions of everyday life. So, next time you see an etching, consider it not only as a work of art, but also as a product of specific social conditions, a testament to the labor that went into its creation, and the broader world of work that it represents.