Apen als kleermakers, ca. 1720 1720

This engraving, made in Amsterdam around 1720 by Matthijs Pool, depicts monkeys dressed as humans, engaged in the activity of tailoring. The medium itself, etching, is crucial here. The print was made by incising lines into a metal plate with acid. Consider how this meticulous, labour-intensive process mirrors the activity it represents: tailoring, also a painstaking task, requiring skillful manipulation of textiles. The scene hints at the booming textile industry of the Dutch Golden Age, fuelled by colonial trade and exploitation. Pool presents these monkeys in a state of busy work, satirizing human society by showing animals doing people's work, thus engaging with themes of labor and class. But more than this, the image slyly comments on the human appetite for imitation, and perhaps also the foolishness of fashion. This engraving invites us to consider the social context of production, blurring boundaries between art, craft, and social commentary.