Drenkeling komt bij kennis in zijn bed 1787

This print, made by Robert Pollard in the late 18th or early 19th century, is rendered through the meticulous process of engraving. The image is created by cutting lines into a metal plate, likely copper, and then using ink to transfer the design onto paper. The medium of engraving was particularly well-suited to the era's culture of mass production. Prints like these were relatively inexpensive and could be widely disseminated, bringing art to a broader audience. But the labor involved in creating such detailed work should not be overlooked. Each line, each shadow, is the result of skilled handwork. The textures and tones that Pollard achieves speak to the time-intensive nature of the process, with countless fine lines creating a sense of depth and realism. This is all the more poignant considering the subject of the print: resuscitation. The recovery of the drowned man can also be seen as an emblem of skilled labor—the recovery of craft in the face of industrialization.