Het schip Fin de la guerre, 1585 1613 - 1615

This print, Het schip Fin de la guerre, was made in 1585 by an anonymous artist, using the technique of etching. Here, lines are incised into a metal plate with a sharp needle, and then acid is used to bite away the exposed areas. The plate is then inked and printed to create the image we see here. The fineness of the lines allow for precise and intricate details in the depiction of the ship and its surroundings. Consider the labor involved in both the ship and the print’s making. A ship of this kind represents an enormous mobilization of resources – timber, metal, textiles – and not least, human labor. This print gives us the ship in miniature, and yet it too required skill and effort to create the matrix, ink it, and pull the print. Ultimately, the print serves as a reminder that every image, like every object, carries the weight of its making, whether we see it or not. Appreciating the significance of materials, processes, and social context broadens our understanding and challenges the traditional distinctions between art and craft.