Vlinders en libellen 1594 - 1644

This print of butterflies and dragonflies was made by an anonymous artist, using the intaglio technique of engraving. The artist would have used a tool called a burin to manually cut lines into a copper plate. Ink is then applied to the plate, and carefully wiped from the surface, remaining only in the engraved lines. This act of impressing paper onto the prepared plate results in a crisp, raised image, with a textural quality that is entirely different to a drawing on paper. The engraver's skill is evident in the careful rendering of the insects' bodies, and the delicate patterns on their wings. While the print is a study of nature, its creation is rooted in human labor, with hours of painstaking work required to produce the plate. Prints like these were relatively inexpensive and could be widely disseminated, speaking to broader issues of labor, politics, and consumption in society. The significance of the artwork lies not just in its aesthetic appeal, but also in the labor-intensive processes involved in its creation.