Oude vrouw zingt 1612 - 1665

This engraving, *Oude Vrouw Zingt*, or *Old Woman Singing*, was made by Cornelis van Dalen the elder, sometime in the mid-17th century. The image is achieved with the intaglio process, a printmaking technique in which an image is incised into a plate, likely copper, and then inked. The fine lines that define the old woman’s face, the folds of her turban, and even the musical score she holds, all testify to Van Dalen’s mastery of this medium. The intaglio method has a fascinating history, emerging in the 15th century and flourishing during the Renaissance. It’s no accident that printmaking developed alongside the rise of capitalism; it allowed images and information to be reproduced and disseminated widely, democratizing knowledge and fueling intellectual exchange. But, of course, this reproducibility also meant a dispersal of artistic labor, and a new relationship to an art market, in which it became much harder to claim singular authorship. So, next time you see an old print, think about the layers of work and context embedded in its very substance. The choices made in its production aren't just technical; they're cultural statements about art, value, and the world around us.