Fishermen Pulling in Net on a Boat n.d.

Cornelis Ouboter van der Grient made this print, Fishermen Pulling in Net on a Boat, using etching techniques. It's a delicate piece on paper, far removed from the hard work it portrays. The magic of etching lies in how the artist coaxes an image from a metal plate through acid. Lines are drawn on a waxy surface, then the plate is submerged in acid, biting away at the exposed metal to create the drawing. The plate is then inked and printed, transferring the image to paper. Notice how the etched lines define the figures of the fishermen, their boat, and the distant ships. Here, the contrast between the labor-intensive process of etching and the scene depicted invites reflection on the lives of the working class, as well as the burgeoning market for images in the 19th century. The print transforms the labor of fishermen into a commodity for consumption, prompting us to consider the social and economic context of both the image and the depicted scene. We see the artist’s labor reflected in the final product, as well as the fisherman’s labor reflected in the image.