Herfst: storm op zee 1581 - 1633

This is “Herfst: storm op zee,” made by Theodoor Galle around the turn of the 17th century. It’s an engraving, meaning that Galle would have used a tool called a burin to cut lines into a copper plate. The plate is then inked, and the ink wiped away, remaining only in the incised lines. It’s then pressed onto paper, leaving the image. While the composition is dramatic, with ships tossed about by monstrous waves, the actual amount of labor to create an engraving like this is immense. It could take days or weeks to complete the design. And of course, it is a reproductive medium: many impressions can be taken from a single plate. Engravings like this were made for a rising class of literate, relatively affluent consumers. They could be bound into books, or simply kept as collectible images. So, while we might admire the skill that went into this print, it’s important to also remember the economic and social forces that brought it into being.