Tegenspoed doet de mens lijken op Christus 1679

This engraving, made by Gaspar Bouttats around 1648-1695, depicts the making of money. See the artisans in the workshop, hammering and heating metal, literally manufacturing wealth. The coins, carefully rendered, line the bottom of the image, underscoring the repetitive labor involved. Look closely, and you'll notice the sharp contrast between the supposed value of the end product, and the strenuous conditions of its making. This wasn't just a matter of technical skill; it was about social relations. The print makes the viewer consider the cost of material wealth, not in terms of monetary value, but human effort. Bouttats asks us to consider the connection between labor, adversity, and the pursuit of riches, highlighting the social and ethical dimensions of production, challenging the notion that fine art exists separately from the world of work.