Dees spreuken zijn tot uw vermaak / Een yder past op zijne zaak 1725 - 1780

This print, "Dees spreuken zijn tot uw vermaak / Een yder past op zijne zaak," was made by Johannes Kannewet in Amsterdam, using a printing press, ink, and paper. The arrangement of images, like individual tiles, suggests a repetitive process, not unlike industrial production itself. This work embodies the nature of printmaking, where an image is carved or etched into a surface, inked, and then transferred to paper, creating multiples. The even lines and repeated motifs throughout the design are the results of this method, which allows for the widespread distribution of images and ideas. The use of text also shows the democratizing power of the printing press. Kannewet was a book vendor and also printed playing cards, so the work has a certain playful quality, but also speaks to the commercial context of its creation. These were inexpensive images, churned out in large quantities, quite different from individually painted artworks. The image invites us to consider the labor involved in the production process, and its relationship to the rising tide of commercial culture.