Man gekleed in het kostuum van de Orde van de Unie 1807 - 1810

This is a hand-colored engraving of a man dressed in the uniform of the Order of the Union, made by an anonymous artist. The printmaking process involved meticulous work. The design would have been incised into a metal plate, likely copper, with skilled hands and sharp tools. Ink was then applied, carefully wiped away, leaving it only in the etched lines. Paper was laid on top, and run through a press with great pressure to transfer the image. Finally, someone would add the colors by hand. Consider the labor involved. From the engraver’s expertise to the hand-coloring, each print was the product of skilled work. This contrasts with the subject matter: a man defined by his affiliation with a powerful union, an institution that surely had implications for labor and class. Understanding the means of production, from the engraver’s bench to the social structures of the time, provides a fuller appreciation for the image. It blurs the lines between craft and fine art, revealing the complex relationships between artistry and society.