Boerenfamilie bij het slachten van een varken 1723 - 1789

Jacob Hoolaart made this etching, *Boerenfamilie bij het slachten van een varken*, which translates to *Farmer Family Slaughtering a Pig*, sometime in the 18th century. The printmaking process is fundamental to how we understand this image; the use of etching – lines bitten into a metal plate with acid, then inked and printed onto paper – allowed Hoolaart to create multiple impressions of the scene. This was especially valuable in the 1700s, when printed images served as an important form of communication. The sharp, dark lines define the figures and objects, emphasizing the grim labor of the scene, and the value of meat in the diet of a farming family. Note that the print’s very existence speaks to the rise of a commercial market for images, catering to a growing middle class interested in rural life and customs. The availability of prints like these reflect a shift in art production, from unique handmade works to multiples, mirroring the broader changes in society brought about by nascent industrialization. It reminds us that what we see in art is always shaped by the means of its making, and its social context.